


The Banker and the Hooligan

by silverraven



Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Photography, Romantic Comedy, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-04
Updated: 2012-08-04
Packaged: 2017-11-11 10:36:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/477627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverraven/pseuds/silverraven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bit of a fairytale set in modern-day Texas. Jensen is a reserved and by-the-book bank manager. Jay is a laid-back and fun-loving photographer, living in a Winnebago, who comes in looking for a loan. Jensen refuses, surprised when Jay just keeps coming back, determined to shake up Jensen’s very ordered world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Banker and the Hooligan

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Jensen kisses Jay while he is in a relationship with Tom

Jensen couldn’t control a grin as he walked into the bank and saw the plaque on his office door. Even after eight months, something about seeing ‘Jensen Ackles, Manager’ still shot a small spark of delight through him.  
  
At twenty-seven, he was the youngest branch manager in Edlund Bank history. Okay, so maybe the Lancaster branch was the smallest and Lancaster itself was just a small suburb of Dallas with a population of less than 40,000 people, but this was a step in the right direction.  
  
Much bigger and brighter things were ahead of him, Jensen had no doubt.  
  
He looked down, making sure his dark blue business suit, white dress shirt, and striped tie all still looked pristine. They did, of course. He was a bit overdressed, especially for a Friday, but Jensen had always been taught to dress for success.  
  
Besides, he was meeting with the other branch managers and the marketing team this afternoon to discuss a new ad campaign about increasing their customer incentive programs. It would be a perfect opportunity for networking and Jensen would be damned if he went in looking anything but his best.  
  
There was also his staff to consider. The younger ones, especially the tellers, seemed to like him just fine, but the others… well, Jensen knew a few of them had applied for his position and weren’t happy with Jensen being chosen over them, thinking him too young and inexperienced.  
  
It made Jensen work twice as hard, take extra care to arrive on time and leave late, to always maintain a cool and professional manner, and perhaps to manage more sternly than he would have liked, but he couldn’t afford to let them see even a moment’s weakness.  
  
His leather loafers clicked on the marble floor as he made his way to his office door, pushing his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose and glancing at the two people sitting in the waiting area for him. First in line was a guy that looked so wildly out of place that Jensen did a double take.  
  
Shaggy brown hair, an eyebrow piercing, a white muscle shirt that could use a washing, a tattoo on his left bicep, worn blue jeans with holes in both knees, and flip-flops.  
  
The man looked like a hooligan.  
  
Next to him was Mrs. Garlington, one of the bank’s more vocal clients, looking down at her watch and muttering, foot tapping on the floor.  
  
Jensen’s gaze traveled back to the man, their eyes locking on each other.  
  
After a long moment, Mrs. Garlington cleared her throat, loudly. “If you’re done staring, some of us have actual business to do this morning,” she said snidely.  
  
“Of course, sorry, ma’am,” Jensen apologized. “I can see you as soon as I’m finished with this gentleman.”  
  
“Nah, it’s alright,” the guy replied, smiling kindly at Mrs. Garlington. Jensen thought he saw a hint of dimples. “The lady can go first.”  
  
Jensen smiled. “In that case, please come in, Mrs. Garlington.” He opened the door, gesturing for her to walk in first and steeled his resolve before shutting the door. He wasn’t looking forward to this.  
  
He was right. Twenty minutes later, Mrs. Garlington was enraged, threatening to complain about him to the bank’s head office when Jensen refused to open another account for her to run into the ground.  
  
“Go right ahead,” he muttered before he could stop himself, she was one of the rudest customers the bank had. “Here is their number and address, if you wish to write a formal letter instead.” Jensen quickly scribbled the information down but his phone rang before he could finish. It was Alona, the receptionist/bookkeeper.  
  
 _“Hey, boss, just wanted to let you know that Mrs. White is here to see you.”_  
  
“Thank you. Please have her take a seat outside,” he said with an internal eyeroll, not surprised at all that she was here again.  
  
He put down the receiver and handed the note over to Mrs. Garlington. “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”  
  
“This is plenty,” she bit out, eyes shooting daggers at Jensen.  
  
“Alright. Have a good day, Mrs. Garlington.” He escorted her to his door.  
  
She huffed out a breath and left without a backwards glance.  
  
"Oh, Mrs. White, you're too funny," the scruffy man was saying. Jensen gaped at the pair of them.  
  
As soon as she saw Jensen, she shot up and grasped his arm. “There you are, dear. You won’t believe–”  
  
“This man was here first,” Jensen said quickly, earning a dismayed look. “I’m sorry but you’ll have to wait your turn.” He gave her his best apologetic smile.  
  
“It’s cool,” the guy was quick to reply. “I don’t mind waiting.”  
  
“Thank you, young man, that’s very kind of you,” she said before grabbing Jensen’s arm tighter, pulling his attention back to her. “I didn’t mean to overdraw, the check went through so fast, and now the charges… you know I can’t afford – please–” She was nearly in tears now.  
  
“You know about our checking policies very well,” he started gently, but was never any good against tears. He sighed. “Yet, given that you have been with Edlund Bank since we opened, I think we can make an exception. I’ll waive the overdraft fee on your account.”  
  
“Oh, thank you! You are a darling, much better than that sour-puss before you… miserable old coot…” she mumbled, winking at the hooligan and Jensen could only shake his head, mouth half tilted up.  
  
The guy was watching him with a small smile and something Jensen couldn’t place in his eyes. Amusement, maybe.  
  
Jensen resisted the urge to duck his head. Instead he gave his most courteous smile, trying to mask the fact that he was dying to know the reason this man was here. “I can see you now.”  
  
The guy nodded. “It’s been a pleasure, Mrs. White,” he said and Jensen didn’t find his Texas twang at all endearing.  
  
“Oh you, such a sweet boy. Call me Betty.”  
  
The man smiled, big and full, and it damn near lit up the whole room. Dimples large enough for Jensen to stick a finger in.  
  
Not that he wanted to or anything.  
  
The guy stood up, waving good-bye and turning his attention to Jensen, coming closer and damn near towering over Jensen – no small feat as Jensen was over six feet tall himself. He couldn’t help noticing the guy’s board shoulders and slim hips, tight ass as he walked through Jensen’s door.  
  
Jensen reminded himself that ogling potential customers – or _any_ customer, really – was a big no-no and went to sit behind his desk.  
  
“I’m Jay,” the guy said, sitting across from Jensen and stretching out his long legs.  
  
“Jensen. But you can call me Mr. Ackles,” he said with a frown, unnerved with Jay’s casualness.  
  
Jay smirked. “It’s going to be like that, is it?”  
  
Jensen narrowed his eyes. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here?”  
  
“I’d like three thousand dollars, please.”  
  
“Wouldn’t we all,” he replied with a snort, not sure what game Jay was playing. “Now tell me the real reason.”  
  
“That is the real reason. Come on, I can’t be the first person to come here asking for a loan.”  
  
“Of course not, but–” Jensen clicked his mouth shut. He usually had more decorum than this, especially while at work. Something about the man was already getting under his skin.  
  
“But most come in their Sunday best?” Jay guessed, looking down at his clothes.  
  
“They don’t come dressed quite like you, no.”  
  
“And if I came in a suit like yours, would I get a loan?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.  
  
“Not necessarily, getting a loan depends on a lot of things.”  
  
“And style of clothing is one of them.”  
  
Jensen bit his lip, silently cursing that the bank was small enough that he had to serve as both manager and loan officer. Apparently Jay had never heard that clothes make the man. “Look, it’s not my decision, it’s the bank’s and we have to fill out a loan application. There is no choice of dress question, so it doesn’t matter.”  
  
He saw Jay open his mouth, clearly another retort, and Jensen blocked it, swiveling in his chair so he faced the computer and started clicking. “Just let me open up the form and we can begin. May I have your full name?”  
  
“Jay Tristan Winchester.”  
  
“Is Jay short for anything?”  
  
Jay shifted in his chair. “Nope.”  
  
“Date of birth?”  
  
Jay gave it, born only six months after Jensen.  
  
Jensen’s phone rang then, the caller ID showing _Welling & Associates_.  
  
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Jay asked at the fourth ring.  
  
Against his better judgment, Jensen picked up. He had told Tom not to call in the mornings when he was likely to be with a customer, but he knew not picking up would only have Tom calling again until he did.  
  
He answered it, making sure it was Tom before saying he would call him back later.  
  
“ _I just wanted to know if we were still on for seven tonight_.”  
  
“Yes, seven. See you then, Tommy,” he agreed before hanging up, not even realizing he had used the nickname. Tom hated it, but every once and awhile it just slipped out.  
  
“Tommy? Pretty informal for a business colleague,” Jay said, studying Jensen for a long moment before one side of his mouth lifted in a grin. “Why, Mr. Ackles, were you talking with your boyfriend?”  
  
Jensen felt his neck flush, hoping that his collar would cover it up. “That is none of your business, Mr. Winchester.”  
  
“You were!” Jay laughed, a glint in his eyes. “Oh man, this is awesome. Okay, so tell me about the kind of man you like.”  
  
“I don’t see how that is any of your concern,” Jensen said, but Jay barreled on as if he hadn’t heard.  
  
“I bet he wears a suit just like you, pocket square and all. On the serious side, probably uptight and too busy climbing the corporate ladder to see what’s right in front of him,” Jay said with a suggestive look at Jensen.  
  
He glared back. “Mr. Welling is a defense lawyer if you must know, and insulting me will not help you get a loan, Mr. Winchester.”  
  
“It’s Jay, and I wasn’t insulting you.”  
  
“You called me serious and uptight.” Jensen had to look away, clenching his jaw in aggravation. “Look, it doesn’t matter. Let’s get back to the loan. Can I get your Social Security Number?”  
  
“I wasn’t insulting you,” Jay repeated softly, causing Jensen to dart his eyes to Jay’s face and all Jensen could think was how pretty Jay’s eyes were.  
  
“Yes, well… Address!” Jensen blurted out. Seriously, what was the matter with him? “I mean, can I get your address, please?”  
  
“I, uh.” Jay rubbed the back of his neck. “I live in a Winnebago.”  
  
“A Winne…” Jensen sighed, rubbing one side of his forehead in a circle. Why was he even surprised? “The bank can’t give you loan with no fixed residency, I’m sorry.”  
  
“But you haven’t filled out the application yet.”  
  
“It doesn’t matter, I already know what the computer will say. You’re too much of a risk.”  
  
“Too much of a risk?” Jay straightened, eyes narrowing. “You haven’t asked anything about my business yet, what I need the money for. I’m a photographer, I need to buy two lenses–”  
  
“Like I already said, Mr. Winchester, the bank will not give a loan to a man with no permanent address. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other people I need to see today.” Jensen stood up, checking his cufflinks and ignoring the part of him that was a little sad at sending Jay away.  
  
“You can’t just…!”  
  
“I can,” Jensen said, opening his door and trying not to notice the hurt on Jay’s face. “I am sorry I couldn’t help you today.”  
  
“Yeah,” Jay mumbled quietly and left Jensen’s office with his shoulders down.  
  
Jensen felt like a heel, but the rules were there for a reason. And banking was a business, not a charity.  
  


~ ~ ~ ~

  
At seven o’clock on the dot, Jensen heard a knock on the front door and smiled. One of his favorite traits about Tom was his punctuality; Jensen hated to be kept waiting.  
  
Tom looked smart in a heather-grey blazer and black pants, but the only thing that caught Jensen’s attention tonight was that he was shorter than Jay.  
  
Dinner was perfectly organized. Tom handed the keys to his Lexus GX to the valet, secured a table in the far corner, and their customary drinks (beer for Jensen, fine red wine for Tom) were at their table before they’d decided what they wanted for dinner.  
  
The food was delicious; the steak seasoned and cooked to perfection, tender enough a butter knife could cut through it.  
  
Tom controlled the majority of the conversation, as he usually did, but Jensen had always been a better listener than talker. Besides, he couldn’t imagine anyone really wanting to know about a bank manager’s day – it wasn't nearly as interesting as being a lawyer. So, Jensen simply listened attentively as Tom discussed a couple cases he was working on.  
  
He did remember to remind Tom about Danneel’s upcoming wedding but Tom apologetically said he was going to be out of town for business that weekend and couldn’t get out of it.  
  
“You know,” Jensen said as they were nearly finished with the meal. “I don’t think I tell you enough how much I appreciate you, Tom. Because I do. I really do.”  
  
Tom laughed. “I’m glad for it. I’ll have to remind you of that when I next need a loan.”  
  
Even though Jensen knew Tom was only teasing, his good mood vanished. “Let’s not talk about work anymore tonight, okay?”  
  
That had its desired affect; the humor in Tom’s blues eyes faded, replaced with heat. “You’re right. I’m sitting here with the most gorgeous man in Texas, talking about work. Let’s say we get out of here. Back to my place?”  
  
This wasn’t the first time Tom commented on his looks, and Jensen certainly wanted sex, but… it would have been nice if Tom had asked about Jensen’s day or how his grandmother was doing first.  
  
Jensen shrugged it off. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go.”  
  
It had been a trying day, first with Mrs. Garlington and Ja–Mr. Winchester and then later, his afternoon meeting where the VP said they had two big account accepting bids for their Dallas branches, and gave Jensen one of the proposals to write up.  
  
There was nothing more he wanted right now than to fuck Tom into the mattress, or Tom him, anything to make Jensen forget all about a certain hazel-eyed deviant.  
  


~ ~ ~ ~

  
Monday morning, coffee cup in one hand and briefcase in the other, Jensen nearly stumbled when he saw Mr. Winchester waiting outside his office again. He looked heavenward, wondering what he had done to deserve this.  
  
He noticed the smirk Alona gave him as he marched past her and began to suspect she might have had something to do with this.  
  
Jay smiled when he saw Jensen, standing up and tucking a portfolio under one arm. “Good morning, Jensen!”  
  
Jensen nodded in greeting, wondering how anyone could be so happy on a Monday morning… or any morning. It was unnatural.  
  
“Please give me a moment to get settled and I’ll be right with you.” He didn’t comment on being addressed by his first name, knowing that insisting he be called Mr. Ackles would be pointless.  
  
“Of course.”  
  
He took his time getting ready but after ten minutes had passed, he knew he couldn’t keep Ja–Mr. Winchester waiting any longer. And besides, if he was here asking about the loan again, it wouldn’t take Jensen long to deny him. Rules were rules.  
  
“What can I do for you, Mr. Winchester?” he asked, opening the door and gesturing for Jay to come in.  
  
“Jay, please. I insist. And I’m here to ask you to reconsider the loan.”  
  
“ _Mr. Winchester_ ,” Jensen said, as he sat down, watching Jay do the same. “Have you secured an actual residence since last Friday?”  
  
“Well, no, but–”  
  
“The bank’s rules haven’t changed. Now if that is all–”  
  
“No, that isn’t all. I want you to hear me out. Alona told me you don’t have anything until your conference call at ten, which gives me a full hour. And I brought my portfolio to show you.” He held it out.  
  
Not given much of a choice, and silently swearing he would have words with Alona later, Jensen took the binder. He didn’t open it though, setting it on his desk and crossing his arms. “You said you’re a photographer.”  
  
Jay looked a little stunned, whether by the change of topic or Jensen allowing him his say, Jensen didn’t know.  
  
“Yes, uh, yes. I’ve mainly been doing private parties but I want to be a nature photographer. The Dallas Gazette has already used a couple of my pictures but I’m hoping with a better telephoto and wide angle lens, I can get published in National Geographic or Nature’s Best. That’s what I need the loan for. The lenses I want are about fifteen hundred each.”  
  
“So, you want to take pictures of dirt?” Jensen asked, looking at Jay over the rims of his glasses.  
  
Jay shook his head. “No, I want to take pictures of the _world_. Of what mother nature created. Come on, man, haven’t you ever gone camping?”  
  
“No.” Why would he? Sleeping in tents, surrounded by mosquitoes with no running water or indoor plumbing didn’t sound like some great vacation. It sounded like hell.  
  
“Hiking?” At Jensen’s blank look, he continued, “Fishing? My dad used to take me fishing at least twice every summer. Oh, how about a picnic? Your parents must have taken you on a picnic in the mountains?”  
  
“My dad is a stockbroker, my mom is an economics professor. We vacationed in cities. New York, London, Rome… my parents are quite fond of spending a few weeks during summer vacation in Europe, actually.” So he was a city kid, what was the big deal? Chances were he’d already seen more of the world then Jay ever would.  
  
“So, you’re never seen a forest?” Jay asked, looking at Jensen with pity.  
  
Oh, hell no. He most certainly didn’t need _pity_ , especially from someone like Jay Winchester.  
  
“Of course I’ve seen forests. I may have never stopped for a picnic in one but I’ve driven through plenty. My parents own a beach home in Galveston, we went there every summer, and they took us skiing in Colorado almost every winter. I can assure you I am familiar with nature.” Jensen could still remember the endless hours in the car, driving through big, dark forests that seemed to stretch on forever.  
  
“That’s not what I meant.” Jay bent forward, hands reaching for his portfolio and opening it to the first page. “This is what I meant, have you ever seen anything like this?”  
  
Jensen looked down at the two pictures on the page and gasped. They showed an absolutely stunning nature pool, half underground. The water was a striking jade green, the high ceiling was covered with ferns, rings of moss, and large stalactites. The pool itself was surrounded by large limestones.  
  
The water dripping in from the opening, seeming to fall from the heavens, was more pronounced in [the bottom photo](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/silverraven/14838915/47204/original.jpg). _Must be a waterfall_ , Jensen thought. It could be an alien world if not for the people enjoying a swim in [the top picture](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/silverraven/14838915/47611/original.jpg).  
  
“That’s Hamilton Pool Preserve, right here in Texas,” Jay said, as if he was reading Jensen’s mind. “Not too far from Austin.”  
  
“It’s beautiful, Jay,” he whispered, looking up and was gifted with a smile that lit up his office.  
  
“Go on, look through some more.”  
  
The next couple of pages were pictures that Jensen was more used to seeing: mountains, rivers, waterfalls. Then came flowers, dozens of roses in bloom, rows of sunflowers that looked taller than him, [a field of purple-blues and reds](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/silverraven/14838915/47073/original.jpg).  
  
“That’s Dallas,” Jensen said when he turned the page. He could recognize that skyline anywhere, but it was unlike any image of Dallas he had ever seen before. [It was nighttime but the sky was lit up with large rays of lightning, making the buildings look small and insignificant in comparison](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/silverraven/14838915/46778/original.jpg).  
  
“Sure is,” Jay drawled. “That’s one of my more recent ones, took it a couple weeks back.”  
  
Jensen remembered then, he’d been with Tom enjoying dinner at a downtown restaurant when the storm had started. Jensen had been annoyed with the constant thunder interrupting their meal. Now he wished he had taken the time to look out the window. It must have been one hell of a show.  
  
He reluctantly turned the page. Forests were next. There was one picture in particular his eyes zoned in on. “Where’s that?” he asked, pointing.  
  
Jay pushed his chair closer, peering over the desk so their heads were only inches apart.  
  
“That’s Cibolo Creek, it’s one of my favorite places.”  
  
“Cibolo Creek? That’s by San Antonio, isn’t it?” Jensen asked.  
  
Jay nodded, appearing pleased at Jensen’s question. “Yeah, there’s a nature center about thirty miles from San Antone. I used to go there every chance I could. That’s where I took this picture actually.”  
  
“So, you’re from San Antonio?” he guessed, looking back down at the photograph.  
  
“Born and raised,” Jay said, a hint of proud in his voice that Jensen could appreciate, being a Texas native himself.  
  
The creek [in the photo](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/silverraven/14838915/46299/original.jpg) was narrow, the water appearing to move at a leisurely pace as it flowed between several tall trees with countless twisted roots. Jensen couldn’t even begin to guess how old the trees must be. Patches of sun spots filtered through the canopy; touching the land and making the water look orangey-yellow. Moss grew between the trees and looked soft to the touch. The image was as tranquil as it was vibrant and Jensen wanted to see it with his own eyes.  
  
He reluctantly turned the page. There was only one sheet left, consisting of two photos, one vertical and the other horizontal, both of sunsets.  
  
[The vertical picture](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/silverraven/14838915/46389/original.jpg) had an oil ring in shadows, the land dark, but over the horizon the endless Texas sky seemed to come alive in radiant shades of yellows and blues that would put any painting to shame.  
  
The sun wasn’t visible in [the last photo](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/silverraven/14838915/45924/original.jpg). Instead there was a large burst of pure white light coming from between the clouds, painting them and everything else: land, lake, and sky in rich shades of purple. It was the color of royalty, Jensen had once been told, and he could certainly see why. Yet, whatever treasures a king might have, it didn’t compare to the sense of awe Jensen felt at the striking image.  
  
“Amazing what mother nature can do, isn’t it?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen replied and looked up, Jay was close enough that Jensen could see the speckles of brown and green in his eyes. “You’re a talented photographer.”  
  
He tried not to be charmed by the slight flush that overcame Jay’s cheeks, reminding himself that Jay was a client. He turned to the computer and opened up the application file again, typing in Jay Tristan Winchester as he talked. “I’ll speak to the Vice President about waiving the residency restriction; I just need to complete the application first.”  
  
“Thank you, Jensen.” Jensen could hear the smile in Jay’s voice.  
  
“How long have you been a photographer?”  
  
“All my life.”  
  
Jensen grinned at that, glancing over to Jay. “I mean how long have you been doing it professionally?”  
  
“Oh, about three months, I guess,” he said with a cheeky smile.  
  
“And what did you do before that?”  
  
Jay looked uneasy. “Why is that necessary? Shouldn’t it be my ability at my present job that will decide how well I’ll use your loan?”  
  
“I’m trying, Jay, but you have to give me something to work with.”  
  
“Okay, okay,” he said, shrugging. “I already told you I’m from San Antonio, born and raised. Worked a couple of old jobs here and there before I decided to pursue photography full time. Then I came out here.”  
  
“So, you don’t have any real references then…” Jensen muttered more to himself than Jay. He turned away from the computer, folding his hands together on his desk. “What about accounts?”  
  
Jay made a sour face. “I show you nature’s glory and you ask for accounts.”  
  
“Every loan I approve or disapprove needs to be justified to the VP, and I can’t represent the ‘glory of nature’ in my report or feed that into a computer,” Jensen explained, taking a deep, calming breath. It didn’t work.  
  
“Reports! Computers!” Jay mimicked bitterly and pointed to the clouds in the last sunset picture. “Look that that sunset? Have you ever seen clouds that color or even that shade of purple anywhere before? Most people haven’t, they go through their lives without truly seeing the world around them. They never look up from the ground their entire lives.”  
  
Jay rubbed a hand across his face, turning his head and staring at the wall, taking in Jensen’s diplomas and awards.  
  
“Did you look up at the sky even once this morning?” Jay asked, returning his gaze to Jensen. Apparently Jensen’s silence was answer enough. “Or, hey, did you know you have a handful of real pretty dandelions growing in the corner of your parking lot?  
  
Jensen shook his head, shocked. Dandelions, how unprofessional. He made an internal note to have them taken care of, nearly missing what Jay said next.  
  
“I’m not surprised, I’m pretty sure the majority of people don’t even know they’re there. But you should take a look when you leave today, they really are beautiful.”  
  
Beautiful or not, he wouldn't have weeds growing in his parking lot. Closing the portfolio, he said, “None of that has anything to do with getting a loan. Let’s get back to that, okay? Do you have someone that’s willing to be a guarantor, or perhaps, a co-borrower?”  
  
“No,” Jay sighed, sprawling back in his chair. “I want to do this on my own.”  
  
“That’s admirable,” Jensen answered, pinning his eyes to Jay and taking a deep breath, “but you’re making this very difficult for me. As I mentioned before, I have to feed all this into a computer and right now the only thing the computer is going to do is die laughing.”  
  
“Computers don’t laugh,” Jay said, forlorn, as if the thought made him sad. “People laugh, and they sing and cry and–”  
  
“That’s all well and good, but I’m afraid I still can’t give you a loan. Now, if that is all…”  
  
Jay shot up in his chair. “No, that’s not all, I’m not–”  
  
“We are finished here,” Jensen said, standing and straightening out his jacket and tie. He had wasted enough of his time on this. He had a long day ahead of him and it was past time he got some real work done.  
  
Jensen opened his door. “Goodbye, Mr. Winchester.”  
  
“You know, I liked you better when you called me Jay.”  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Jensen saw Alona scowl, narrowing her eyes in Jensen’s direction.  
  
Jensen shut his door, looking around his office and noticing for the first time what a drab beige it was. Suddenly, he wished he had a window so the four walls felt less… prisonish.  
  
He closed his eyes, taking a minute to regroup. His office was a place of pride and success, not a prison cell.  
  
So what he if ignored Alona the rest of the day, and so what if he couldn’t help scanning the nearly deserted parking lot on his way out until he found a spot of yellow. It’s not like he actually went to stare at the stupid weeds.  
  


~ ~ ~ ~

  
Jensen wasn’t at all surprised to see Jay waiting for him Tuesday morning.  
  
“Mr. Winchester,” he greeted, opening his door.  
  
“Hi, Jensen!” Jay said, dimples and all, as if Jensen hadn’t refused his loan twice before. He took his usual chair and waited for Jensen to come around and sit down before sliding a small notebook across the desk.  
  
“What this?” Jensen asked, taking the notebook.  
  
“It’s my financials. Only a few months’ worth but I have events booked for the next seven weeks.”  
  
Jensen studied the sheets. There were only a couple of pages but the handwriting was neat and precise, and to his surprise the figures were sound and very thorough. It really was a shame there was only three months’ worth.  
  
“You said you had events booked,” Jensen said, looking at Jay shrewdly. “What does that mean, exactly?”  
  
“Mainly birthday parties and corporate shindigs, a couple weddings. They’re all over Texas – that’s partly why I have the Winnebago. I go where the work takes me. And I’m hoping to use the time between bookings to hit up some of the smaller state parks.”  
  
“You want to make a series,” Jensen guessed. “Get that published in a national magazine for the world to see–”  
  
“The lesser known parts of Texas, yeah,” Jay finished. “So, what do you think?”  
  
“Your numbers are promising, but I’m wondering why take out a loan and owe all that interest? Why not give it some time and buy the lenses yourself?”  
  
Jay ducked his head. “Why wait for tomorrow when I can do it today, you know?”  
  
Jensen shrugged one shoulder, handing the notebook back. “Do you have any collateral? Stock, maybe?”  
  
“No stock, just what you saw in my report.”  
  
“What about your motorhome?”  
  
Jared was shaking his head before Jensen finished speaking. “I got it cheap off Craig’s List. It’s old and breaks down every few weeks.”  
  
“So you have car repairs in addition to your other expenses.”  
  
“No, no. I fix it myself. Learned all about cars when I was a teenager from, umm, my uncle.”  
  
And just like that an image popped into Jensen’s mind – Jay in the dirty white wife-beater he wore last week, bending over the hood of a car, body glistening with sweat and oil stains on his hands. Jensen gulped, trying not to think about how a man knowing his way around _both_ a car and an account book hit buttons he didn’t know he had.  
  
It seemed like Jay was just full of surprises today, and for one fleeting moment, Jensen was actually looking forward to tomorrow morning and what Jay would do – because today’s answer was still the same.  
  
“I’m afraid I still can’t approve your loan, Mr. Winchester. No address, no references, no guarantor, and no collateral.”  
  
“I think we know each other well enough by now for you to call me Jay, don’t you think?”  
  
Jensen wanted to smile but held a straight face. It was just like Jay to completely miss his point. “Today’s answer is no, Jay. That hasn’t–why are you smiling?”  
  
“You said ‘today’s answer,’” Jay said, a mischievous grin taking over his face. “So maybe tomorrow’s answer will be different?”  
  
Jensen pushed up his glasses, feeling one side of his mouth tugging up ever so slightly. “Well that depends on you, now doesn’t it?”

~ ~ ~ ~

  
There absolutely wasn’t a spring in Jensen’s step on Wednesday morning when he walked in and saw Jay waiting.  
  
“Here you go,” Jay said, fishing something out of his wallet after they had entered Jensen’s office.  
  
“What’s this?” he asked as Jay handed him a folded cashier’s check.  
  
“It’s a check.”  
  
“Yes, I know but…” Jensen unfolded the note, eyes shooting up after looking at it. “Three hundred dollars?”  
  
“From the two bookings I had this past week. I figure ten percent of the loan should cover collateral, right?”  
  
“It could. Do you usually average about two events a week?”  
  
“Yeah, about,” Jay said, nodding.  
  
“And how much of this do you need for supplies? To develop the film?”  
  
Jay sighed. “I already took materials out. That’s all profit.”  
  
Jensen eyes widened. Three hundred a week, that’s _all_ Jay lived off of? “I can’t accept this,” he said, offering back the check but Jay wouldn’t take it.  
  
“What? Why?”  
  
“This is your livelihood–”  
  
“I live in a car, Jensen, I don’t exactly need much money. No rent or utilities.”  
  
“But you must have a cell phone or internet access?”  
  
“Nope. Usually stop at a Starbucks or something if I need internet and no cell either.”  
  
“No cell phone?” Jensen was bewildered. How was that even possible? “What if someone needs to reach you?”  
  
“I have a message service that I check regularly, it works just fine.”  
  
“Then gas and water or… or food! I mean, look at you, you’re the size of an elephant!”  
  
Jay guffawed, his eyes lightening up. “Noticed my size, did you?”  
  
Jensen frowned. “A half-blind bat would notice your size. Now, please, take back the check. I can’t accept it.”  
  
“Then give me the loan.”  
  
“I can’t do that either, Mr. Winchester.”  
  
Jay stared at Jensen for a long time, with each passing second his eyes dimmed until he reluctantly took the check from Jensen’s outstretched hand, shoulders slumping.  
  
It was like stealing from a kid, and Jensen had no idea how Jay could make him feel so enraged one second and then contrite the next.  
  
He’d never been one to touch a customer outside of a handshake, but he couldn’t help lightly touching Jay’s arm. “Look, this is a pretty small bank, but we're still a bank. You'd probably have better luck at one of the local credit unions. Why don't you try them?"  
  
If anything that made Jay’s shoulder droop even more and he nodded slightly, leaving Jensen’s office with his head down and tail between his legs.  
  
He sagged down into his chair, running a hand throw his hair, wishing there was something he could do.  
  
A minute later, there was a knock on his door.  
  
“You know, boss,” Alona said, arms crossed, “I’m getting tired of watching Jay leaving here looking like someone kicked his puppy.”  
  
“I’m not doing it on purpose. I can’t give him a loan, rules are rules.”  
  
“And sometimes rules are meant to be broken. Come on, Jensen, live a little.”  
  
“I’m not going against bank policy. I could lose my job,” he reminded her.  
  
Alona leaned against his door frame. “They aren’t going to fire you over three thousand dollars, and I’m sure Jay is good for it.” Jensen opened his mouth to reply but she beat him to it, “And by now, I think you know it too. He’s a good person, Jensen, he’s–”  
  
“A hooligan,” he growled, voice gruff and mouth turned down.  
  
She barked out a laugh. “Hooligan? Oh my god, who even uses that word anymore?”  
  
“He has no job or address, dresses ridiculously–”  
  
“What’s wrong with the way he dresses? I think it makes him look hot.”  
  
Alona thought Jay was hot? Jensen furrowed his brows, not liking how upset that made him feel. “He’s wearing cut-off jeans, flip-flops, and a t-shirt with _pink flamingos_ , how is that hot?”  
  
“What’s wrong with the flamingos? It’s cute and matches your pink tie,” she said, completely side-stepping Jensen’s question.  
  
Jensen unconsciously brought a hand to his collar, tugging at his tie. “It’s magenta.”  
  
“Magenta… how do you even know…?” Alona uncrossed her arms, shaking her head fondly at Jensen.  
  
“Maybe–” he stopped, looking down for a moment, making up his mind before starting again. “Maybe you shouldn’t book anymore appointments for Jay–”  
  
“Oh, heck no. I meant what I said the other day, he’s good for you. He’s like… the yin to your yang, the Mulder to your Scully, the peanut butter to your jelly, the–”  
  
“I don’t like PB and J sandwiches.”  
  
“That’s beside the point,” she said, frowning. “He’s good for you. He makes you happy.”  
  
“No, he doesn’t.”  
  
“He does,” she insisted, “and as long as he calls, I’m going to keep making him appointments.” She turned around, one foot out his door before Jensen caught up to what she had said earlier.  
  
“Hey, what a minute, why I am Scully?”  
  
“Because you know words like ‘magenta,’” she threw over her shoulder, laughing all the way back to her desk.  
  


~ ~ ~ ~

  
Thursday morning and no Jay. Not that it bothered Jensen or anything.  
  
He had four customers to see, a meeting with the account managers, and several reports to run. It was a busy day, plenty to keep him busy.  
  
He lost track of the number of times he stopped himself from asking Alona if Jay had called. He never did, because that would be admitting that he _wanted_ to see Jay, and he didn’t.  
  
It was fine. Jay probably just took his advice from yesterday and went to a credit union. Who would want to come back after being refused four times already? Jensen sure as hell wouldn’t.  
  
Yup, it was fine. Better than fine, actually, because now Jensen’s life could return back to normal. He’d been spending too much time thinking about Jay anyway, especially late at night, when his resolve was at its weakest.  
  
Jensen shifted in his desk chair, decided it was close enough to noon and stood up, going to heat up some leftovers he had from lunch yesterday.  
  
Thursday afternoons were generally quiet, so Jensen had taken to going to the Subway or Chipotle a couple blocks away. He ate in his office today, not wanting to–well, just because. Because he had to work on the proposal for the big potential client. That's why.   
  
A couple hours later, he was leaving the kitchen after refilling his water bottle when he stopped mid-step. Jay was leaning over the tall counter in front of Alona’s desk, laughing. He said something that made her giggle, the two of them looking thick as thieves and maybe… flirting?  
  
Jensen frowned, biting his lip. Jay looked almost respectable today, khaki pants and toes covered in converse shoes. His shirt was still god-awful though, some floral print button-down monstrosity.  
  
There was no way of getting to his office without walking past and… oh, just screw it. It was after three o’clock and all damn day he had been waiting for Jay. Only now Jay was here and Jensen wasn’t happy or relieved, instead he was half seething at Jay because clearly he was in no rush to see Jensen and half annoyed at himself because how ridiculous was he being?  
  
If Jay wanted to flirt with Alona, he could damn well flirt.  
  
It was fine. Everything was fine. Hell, maybe the reason Jay kept coming back when he had no chance of getting a loan was to see Alona.  
  
Jensen’s eyes widened. That was… that was actually pretty slick.  
  
He had to give Jay props, even if it made his heart turn over. Which made no sense either. Jensen already had a boyfriend, a great one. He needed to stop letting Jay affect him so much.  
  
Nothing more to do but walk past, holding his head high and hoping they wouldn’t notice him.  
  
Jensen should have known it wouldn’t work. He’d only taken a few steps before Alona looked his way and stopped talking mid-sentence. Jay quickly looked over, saw Jensen and _beamed_.  
  
Jensen tried not to feel smug at the smile directed at him and not Alona.  
  
“Hey, Jensen! Just the man I was waiting to see.”  
  
“I don’t see customers in the afternoon,” Jensen said automatically, kicking himself at how fast Jay’s grin vanished. That wasn’t what he wanted to say, Jensen wasn’t even sure why he had said it. “I mean, I usually see customers in the morning, but I don’t have any other meetings the rest of the day and could see you now, if you like.”  
  
Jay's grin came back, even bigger than before. He followed Jensen to his office, and Jensen shuffled the papers spread out all over his desk into the manila folder and set it aside to look at Jay. Jay was frowning at him, staring down at the neatly labeled folder, and Jensen grabbed it and stuck it in the first drawer of his desk.  
  
"How can I help you today?" Jensen asked, to get the ball rolling.  
  
Jay jumped out of his seat and started to pace the tiny office, explaining that he'd spent the morning getting a job with the funfair, running the photo kiosk and the Wild West photo booth.  
  
“I mean, it’s only temporary, just as long as they’re here in Dallas – about a week – their usual guy had to leave, family emergency or something, but should be back soon. I’m just filling in. Still, it’s a job and I should have more than enough for collateral to get my loan. So, what do you think?” Jay finished in a rush, smiling again, bouncing back and forth from the balls of his feet to his heels, eager as you please.  
  
And damn if Jensen was helpless to do anything else but grin back, stamping down the voice in his head that said if Jay got a loan, Jensen would never see him again, and not liking that idea one bit. “That’s great, Jay, I really hope we can help you.”  
  
Jay stilled. “Hope? That won’t be enough? You told me collateral–”  
  
“Would help. There’s a lot more you need to qualify, and I would still need to ask about the residency restriction,” he said, watching as Jay deflated until he couldn’t any longer, eyes glancing down as he pulled a pen out of his holder and started to twirl it.  
  
“You could save the money, I meant what I said yesterday about not taking your livelihood and that money could come in handy, gas and food prices are always going up and–”  
  
“Jesus Christ, Jensen, it’s like pulling teeth with you.” Jay looked exasperated, hands fisting. “Don’t you ever stop being so practical?”  
  
“Stop being…” Jensen sputtered, feeling his hackles rise. “There is nothing wrong with being practical! And besides, I’m a bank manager, it's kind of part of the job description. Didn’t I tell you before that insulting me isn’t going to help?”  
  
“I’m not insulting you. I wouldn’t–” Jay huffed out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “God damn it, you drive me crazy.”  
  
 _The feeling couldn’t be more mutual_ , Jensen thought. “Then why do you keep coming back?”  
  
“Because this,” Jay gestured all around Jensen’s office, “isn’t you. There’s more to you then just some stuffy suit, I saw it the first day. And this place, it’ll eat you alive. It’s nothing but four walls and a functional desk.”  
  
Jensen narrowed his eyes, enraged that this _goon_ would mock an office he had worked so hard to get. “It is efficient, it helps me get my job done.”  
  
“And is that all there is to you, your life? Just your job?”  
  
Jensen know he should end this argument right now, before it escalated, but there was something about Jay – a pull that drew Jensen in as sure as gravity, no matter how much he struggled against it. “My life isn’t any of your business, Mr. Winchester.”  
  
“And I see we’re back to last names. Awesome.”  
  
Jensen could read the irritation in Jay’s eyes clearly but wasn't going to back down. “If you must know, my life is built around strong values and following the rules. Things you seem to know nothing about.”  
  
Jay let out a laugh that wasn’t a laugh at all. “You couldn’t be more wrong, I know all about them, but they’re not the only things that matter. There’s a whole world out there, if you would just stop caring about money so much.”  
  
Jensen saw red. “Need I remind you, it was _money_ that brought you here. That keeps you coming back.”  
  
“You just don’t get it,” Jay said, shaking his head and then setting his shoulders, as if he had come to a decision. “My shift ends at six tomorrow. You should come by – let me show you there’s more to life than just work.”  
  
Jensen furrowed his eyebrows. “Why in the world would I go to a _fair_?”  
  
“Because fairs are fun. They’re–”  
  
“For children whose parents refuse to spend the money for an actual amusement park ticket.”  
  
Jay came closer, leaning his hips against the desk. “When was the last time you went to a fair?”  
  
Jensen blinked. He thought back. “I… why do you– I don’t think I’ve ever been.”  
  
“Then all the more reason to go. All kinds of people go to a fair, young and old and everyone in-between. There’s a reason why fairs are only in town for a couple weeks, there’s something… _magical_ about them.”  
  
Jensen leaned back in his chair, staring at Jay and raising an eyebrow. “Magical? Are you for real?”  
  
“Not the hocus pocus stuff, Harry Potter stuff,” Jay said, sitting on Jensen’s desk. “I’m talking about the everyday wonders of life: snowflakes falling from the heavens, the first cry of a newborn baby, watching the sky burst into color during a sunrise. The magic of a first kiss.”  
  
Jay leaned closer, one giant paw reaching for the arm of Jensen’s chair, wheeling him in, eyes piercing Jensen’s. “Doesn’t your boyfriend show you any magic, Jensen?”  
  
“I–no.” He swallowed.  
  
“Then let me show it to you.” Jay’s hazel eyes were a stormy blue now, almost pleading with Jensen. “Let me show you the world like you’ve never seen it before. Come to the fair tomorrow night.”  
  
“I–” he choked out. Shit, what was the matter with him? He’s tongue felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, throat parched as if he hadn’t just finished his afternoon cup of coffee. “I work late.”  
  
“I’ll wait.”  
  
“I have a wedding I’m going to this weekend.”  
  
“Are you leaving tomorrow night?”  
  
“… no.” It wasn’t until Sunday.  
  
“Then come.”  
  
Jensen shook his head, needed to do something to try and clear his mind from the spell that Jay had seemingly put him under. He took a deep breath, a mistake he realized after the fact, as now Jay’s scent was permeating his consciousness – a combination of something woodsy and something sweet, like candy.  
  
He rolled his chair away, focusing on his computer screen. “I need to get back to work.”  
  
Jay nodded, standing up. “All right. Have a good day, Jensen.”  
  
“You too, Mr. Winchester.” He didn’t look up from the monitor, side-glancing at Jay’s retreating figure.  
  
“I meant what I said about waiting,” Jay said, stopping just inside Jensen’s door. “Just come tomorrow night,” he said, voice so quiet that Jensen almost didn’t hear him. He left, the sound of his footfalls growing fainter and fainter.  
  


~ ~ ~ ~

  
All week, Jensen had been avoiding thinking about how he was parking further away from the banks’ entrance and more towards the corner end. He told himself the extra walking was healthy but by Friday, he could no longer pretend not to see the spots of yellow only two car spaces away.

Jensen bit his lip, fidgeting for a long minute. He glanced at the bank but turned away, walking over to the flowers.

Jay hadn’t lied; four bright yellow dandelions were in full blossom, several blades of grass growing around the stems. They looked so out of place growing in the cracked dark gray asphalt.

The bank was a newer building – bright red brick and a stoned archway over the glass door – only eight years old, but the parking lot was a different story. When Jensen had first gotten the promotion to branch manager, he had asked the VP to have the lot repaved but there was no money for it. Edlund Bank was still just a fledgling in the banking world, twelve years old and only three branches.

He’s glad now that the parking lot wasn’t repaved, and that he never made the call to have the flowers removed, the dandelions stirring something inside of him. He had no idea how they were even growing here, where their nutrients were coming from, why they hadn’t died off from baking in the Texas heat with no shade. Yet, here they were anyway, alive and thriving.

Jensen smiled, lifting his head and feeling the sun on his face. It wasn’t all that hot this morning; a slight breeze ruffled through his hair and tickled his nose. There was barely a cloud in the sky; all he could see was an endless expanse of pale blue.

He stood there for a minute or two and when he came back to himself, looking back toward the earth, he realized how refreshed he felt. Ready to take on the day – kind of like after his first cup of morning coffee only calm instead of buzzed.

Jay wasn’t in the waiting area but that was okay. He would come, Jensen was sure of it. There were four other clients waiting though, so Jensen got to work.

It was two hours later, Jensen alone in his office, just finishing up a call with the credit clerk, when he looked up at the shadow at his door and held up one finger, signaling Alona that he would be done in a moment.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, when he put down the receiver, wondering if she had news on Jay.

Alona looked around the hallway before stepping inside. "The whole bank is buzzing this morning, you’ve been practically beaming since you came in."

"What’s wrong with that?"

"Nothing," she said, grinning impishly. "But compared to the ogre you were yesterday, it’s like night and day." She closed his door and took a seat across from him. "Everyone is curious. Did you and Jay finally hook up last night?"

"What? No!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "Of course not–why would…? Where would you get that idea?"

"You two have been eyeing each other like two tomcats." She smirked, leaning closer as if she had some juicy secret to share. "There’s a bet going."

"On me and Jay?" He caught himself almost immediately. "I mean, Mr. Winchester?"

Alona nodded. "Cliff’s been a smartass for hours, gloating how we’re all out twenty bucks but I just know you’re too classy to put out on the first date, boss. You didn’t, did you?"

"What in the world are you talking about?"

She tilted her head a little, glancing at Jensen as if he was slow. "Your date last night. Jay told me yesterday he wanted you to go to the fair with him. And when he never called to make an appointment today and you looking so chipper…"

"Wait, Jay never called? He’s not coming today?" Jensen ignored the wave of disappointment. It made sense, Jay was probably working. He only took the job for the money, it stood to reason he’d be back sometime the next week when he had the extra cash.

"No," Alona answered, her good humor starting to falter. "You didn’t go out with Jay last night?"

He shook his head. "He invited me to go tonight but…"

"Jensen?"

"I don’t–" he stopped, this was ridiculous. _He_ was being ridiculous. "I have a boyfriend, I’m not dating Jay. This whole office is a bunch of nosy gossips."

"Jen–"

"Enough," he growled, raising a hand in a stop signal. This type of discussion was so far from appropriate office chatter and he wouldn’t have it in his bank. "I want you to go back out there and remind Cliff he’s here to provide security, not idle prattle, and tell everyone else this bet stops now – actually, no, I’ll do it. Schedule a full staff meeting today at closing."

Alona gaped. "But it’s Friday, everyone’s already put in a long week and it’s only a harmless bet, not–"

"Do it now, Alona," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Then get back to work. You’re the worst offender and I have half a mind to report this in your employee file."

When she didn’t immediately reply or move, Jensen mentally prepared himself for battle, but it never happened.

"Fine," she said with a cold look in her eyes. "Staff meeting today at six. Got it, boss."

 

~ ~ ~ ~

  


"What are you doing here, dear?" his grandmother asked as soon as Jensen came home. "You’re supposed to be at the fair!"

"How did you…?" He narrowed his eyes and then sighed as he accepted the inevitable. "You’ve been talking with Alona again."

She nodded. "Yes, and she told me what a brute you’ve been the whole day," she said, tone disapproving, as if she expected better from Jensen and making him feel all of ten again, small and ashamed. "But we can talk about that later. Let’s get you changed and ready for your date." She smiled liked the cheshire cat she was.

"It’s not a date, and I’m not going anyway," Jensen replied, setting down his briefcase heavily on the table.

His grandma gasped. "What do you mean you’re not going? Of course you’re going."

"I’m tired, Gramms, I’ve had a long day at work and I just want to eat dinner and go to bed early," he said, moving toward the stairs.

"The long day is your own fault and you can eat at the fair," she said pertly, "and you can have some of that cotton candy you love so much."

Jensen stopped mid-step, turning around to look at his grandma at the base of the stairs. "Cotton candy? I’ve never even had any cotton candy."

She waved him off. "Don’t be silly, Jensen, when I took you to Disneyworld you couldn’t put the stuff down, insisted on having every color until your tongue was a rainbow. Oh," she said once she took in his expression. "You don’t remember, do you?"

Jensen shook his head.

"You were about five. It was the only summer I ever had you." She looked away, eyes gazing into the distance. "Your parents wanted to take you on another European trip but I begged to have you. Small boys should spend their summers in watering holes and playgrounds, not stuffy hotels and hoity-toity restaurants."

"I wish I could remember it better," Jensen said, coming closer to her and softly touching her arm, bringing her back to the present.

She smiled at him, putting her hand over his. "We had so much fun. Your granddaddy went with your parents and brother, Mac was still in your mama’s belly. You loved the beach, you spent hours building sandcastles. And how you loved going to the park! Most of the other kids stuck to the slides and swings but not you! You loved running around the trees, trying to climb them and giving your poor grandma a heart attack."

"Sorry," he said, chuckling, remembering bits and pieces. Why he ever stopped trying to climb trees?

She patted his arm, looking up at him. "You were so happy then, grinning every time I looked at you, eyes shining. I haven’t seen it much since, until this week. I can’t help thinking it’s because of this Jay fellow."

Jensen pulled away. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. Jay is just a customer. _Tom_ makes me happy."

His grandmother scrunched her face in disgust. "Tom is boring and predictable and…" Jensen stopped listening. Gramms never liked Tommy and took every opportunity to let her displeasure about him be known.

"He’s my boyfriend and I love him," he grated out, hoping it would put an end to this discussion. Of course it didn’t work with Gramms, she just kept on going.

"Don’t be ridiculous, of course you don’t love him," Gramms said with a dismissive tone. "You two don’t really know each other at all."

"We’ve been together for two years." His relationship with Tom was the longest he'd ever had. Tom was successful, handsome, and dependable – perfect for Jensen. Why couldn’t she see that?

"And there’s been no talk of long-term commitment," she was quick to say, nearly screeching, fists clenched. "Or children or –"

"This isn’t forties, Gramms, people don’t get married after only a couple months anymore," he said, wishing she would let things be, tired and annoyed at always having the same argument with her. "These things take time."

She poked his chest with a finger. "Love doesn’t need that much time. You’ll know when you meet your soulmate, trust me."

Jensen rolled his eyes, his grandma always had a thing for fairytales, filling all three of her grandchildren’s heads with tales of princes and princesses and true love. "Life isn’t a story book."

"I know that," she said, a sadness growing in her eyes and Jensen wondered if she was remembering Grandpa, but she didn’t dwell on it, and a moment later it was gone. "But I also know that Tom isn’t right for you. He doesn’t see you for who you truly are. He doesn’t make you laugh. I just want my grandbaby to be happy."

"You think Jay does?" he asked. "You don’t know him."

"I know enough. Alona told me he’s been to see you every day, and now it’s your turn. What time did he say you should come by? It’s already five past seven and you can’t go in your work clothes."

He frowned. "I told you I’m not going. Danneel’s wedding is this weekend and I have to finish up this proposal for JP Inc. to give the VP on Monday. I don’t have time to goof around."

"Fine, I’ll go meet him myself. Just have to grab my jacket and purse, my bus pass should be in there." She turned, reaching for the banister.

Damn it, she knew Jensen didn’t like her taking the bus alone, especially at night and outside the city. He reached out a hand to stop her. "I’m not going to let you go alone."

"Then you have two choices, Jensen, you can either go by yourself or have your grandmother following you and Jay around the fair."

He didn’t say anything for a minute. Then it clicked. "You had this planned all along, didn’t you?" he asked, giving up and smiling despite himself.

"From the moment Alona told me," she confirmed, smiling innocently in a way that only she could pull off, blue eyes twinkling. "Now go get changed, dear. Oh, and wear a sweater. It’s supposed to get chilly tonight."

~ ~ ~ ~

  


Jensen muttered under his breath as he waited at the ticket booth, late enough that at least the line was small. The entrance was overrun with gaggles of teenagers, standing around and not doing much of anything besides loitering.

He had no idea where Jay was or where they were supposed to meet, but as soon as he made it through the turnstile, he heard Jay calling him. Jensen turned toward the direction of Jay’s voice and saw him walking over, dimples carving dents into his face.

Jensen wondered if Jay had really spent over an hour and a half waiting by the entrance for him or if it was just good timing.

"You made it," Jay said, expression bright, running his eyes up and down Jensen’s body and then stifling a grin poorly.

"What?" he asked, hands on his hips.

"Nothing just…" Jay shrugged, mischief in his eyes and he tugged at Jensen’s sweater. "Not sure I’ve ever seen a man under the age of forty wearing a sweater vest."

Jensen crossed his arms. "It’s supposed to get cold tonight, and I like sweater vests, they’re warm without being too hot. Perfect for weather like this. Besides, you’re one to talk," Jensen said, eyeing Jay’s outfit with his mouth turned down.

"What’s wrong with my clothes? I’m wearing jeans just like you."

"It’s your shirt."

"What about it?" Jay looked down at himself, rubbing a hand down the item in question. "It’s clean."

"It has pineapples on it."

"Yeah, and? What’s wrong with pineapples? They’re delicious."

Jensen snorted. "You’re something else, Jay."

Jay smiled, all perfect white teeth. "I like when you call me Jay. And I wasn’t making fun of your sweater vest. I like it – it makes you look all cuddly," he said, petting Jensen’s chest until Jensen had no choice but to knock his hand away.

"Not cuddly, practical. And stop feeling me up."

Jay laughed loudly, throwing his head back and exposing the long column of his throat. Not that Jensen noticed or cared. Or wanted to lick it.

"If you didn’t want people touching then you shouldn’t have worn such a soft and snuggly sweater vest. Now, c’mon," Jay said, grasping Jensen’s elbow lightly. "No trip to a fair is complete without a turkey leg and funnel cake."

Jensen only shook his head, letting Jay lead him to a food stand. They each ate a leg in record time, the hunger from skipping lunch finally abating in Jensen’s stomach.

He didn’t know what to make of the funnel cake, it didn’t look like much besides fried batter with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. He cautiously ripped a small portion off the paper plate and then moaned at the first bite. It tasted kind of like a doughnut, only better. Soft and starchy and sweet and Jensen was reaching for another bite before he could stop himself.

He was about halfway through the delicious confection, licking the powdered sugar from his fingertips with small swipes of his tongue when he remembered that Jay was sitting right next to him.

"Don’t you want some?" Jensen asked, feeling his neck flush when he saw Jay staring at his mouth and realized that Jay must have heard all the happy sounds he’d just made.

"Nah, I’m good," Jay choked out, voice hoarse. "You finish it."

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Jensen pulled the plate closer to him, devouring the remaining funnel cake while trying to keep his moans to a minimum.

When he finished, Jay bought a bag of Twizzlers, offering some to Jensen. He declined, figuring he’d already be spending double the time on the treadmill tomorrow. Worth it though.

They went to the arcade next and Jensen learned just how awesome skeeball and air hockey were before they made their way to the gaming stalls.

Turned out that while Jay easily hit the bell on top of the tower in the strongman game he sucked at anything requiring good hand-eye coordination. He only popped one balloon with six darts and didn’t hit any bottles with five small rings. Jensen on the other hand, kicked ass. He won a giant stuffed hippo that he gave to a little girl and a giant red hammer-shaped balloon that he kept for himself.

"You cheated," Jay complained, lower lip protruding in a way that really shouldn’t have been so adorable. "That last ring didn’t go all the way down but you were too busy flashing your pretty eyes at the girl running the stall for her to notice."

"I won fair and square. You’re just jealous because you don’t have an awesome three-foot balloon hammer."

"And just what are you going to do with a three-foot balloon hammer?"

"This," Jensen said, face as grave as he could make it before he bopped Jay on the head with it, grinning at the surprised expression on Jay’s face.

Jay snorted, snatching the toy away and giving it to a passing child. "You are a menace."

"Jealous," Jensen song-singed. He was still grinning but Jay was no longer paying attention to him.

"Oh, look! A fried candy stand! I’ve always wanted to try a fried Twinkie." Jay’s eyes were huge, zoning in on the stand and Jensen could practically hear Jay’s mouth watering.

"You’re one of these people that think everything tastes better fried, aren’t you?"

"Because it does. Let’s go get one." Jay was already moving when Jensen reached out a hand to stop him.

"Frying is for dough and chicken, not candy. Besides man, you already had Twizzlers and Dippin Dots, how are you even hungry?" Jensen asked but missed Jay’s answer when a kid bumped into him hard enough to hurt.

The snotty pre-teen didn’t even apologize, acting like it was Jensen’s fault for having the nerve to stand there, and by the time he ran off, Jensen had lost sight of Jay.

He didn’t have to look far to find him though, of course the hooligan was busy paying for his fried Twinkie.

"You are a child," Jensen said once he made his way over.

Jay only stuck his tongue out and then took a big bite of his freshly made dessert, looking quite pleased with himself.

It was only a second or two later when Jay’s eyes suddenly grew twice as big and he promptly spit out the food, flailing, "Ohmygod, hothothot!" He dropped the rest of the Twinkie on the ground in his haste to grab Jensen’s water bottle and swallowed half of it in one go.

"Better now?" Jensen asked when Jay returned the empty bottle.

Jay nodded, then seemed to notice the remains of his food and slumped his shoulders. "Aww, man."

At Jay’s dejected look, Jensen couldn’t hide it in anymore, he burst out laughing, chortling loudly until his face and stomach hurt. "You… really are… a child," he wheezed out between peals of laughter.

Wiping at the wetness in his eyes, he was taken aback at the way Jay was looking at him.

"What?" he asked.

"You should laugh more. It looks great on you."

"Whatever," Jensen said, releasing a nervous giggle that he would deny to his dying day and rubbing the back of his neck. "You just want to butter me up so I’ll buy you another fried Twinkie."

"I’m being serious." Jay lightly touched Jensen’s chin, lifting it up until Jensen was looking at him. "You have the most adorable eye crinkles and–"

"Okay, enough." Jensen pulled away, embarrassed. "Where to next?"

Jay thought on it a moment, then smirked. "Funhouse. Definitely."

Jensen had never been inside one before but fast got into the spirit of things, making funny faces in the hall of mirrors, hitting Jay with balls from the ball pit when his back was turned and laughing his ass off at Jay trying to navigate through the barrel-shaped spinning walkway (not that Jensen fared much better).

They went on a ride called Ghost Train afterwards, clutching each other in mock horror, screaming and snickering. Thrill rides were next, where Jensen was spun around and turned upside-down so many times, he nearly up-chucked the funnel cake. Jay obviously had an iron-clad stomach or something because the bastard wasn’t even a little bit dizzy.

It was while they were on the lone small rollercoaster the funfair had to offer that Jensen realized what a great idea this was. He couldn’t remember the last time he had this much fun or laughed so hard. Maybe Jay really did have a point about fairs.

The next time the coaster reached the top of a steep drop, Jensen raised his hands off the metal bar, hollering and hooting all the way down, feeling more alive than he could remember. He never did this sort of thing - he’d lived his whole life trying to maintain a dignified and professional manner.

But not tonight.

It was awesome.

When Jensen looked at his watch and saw the fair would be closing in half an hour, disappointment hit. He might have not wanted to come but now he didn’t want to leave.

"Come on," Jay said, once again grabbing Jensen’s elbow and leading him around the grounds. "We have just enough time for one more ride and it’s the best one."

"Oh no," Jensen said, when it became clear Jay was leading him to the ferris wheel. "Absolutely not. That thing looks a hundred years old. And neither one of us is exactly light."

"It’ll be fine," Jay assured, refusing to let go of Jensen and flat-out pushing Jensen into the chair.

"It’s too small, we’ll never–oof," Jensen yelped when Jay squished in, cramming Jensen against the side of the car. Jay lifted one hand to rest along Jensen’s shoulders, tugging Jensen into his side as the bar came down.

As they rode higher the air grew chilly but Jensen was far from cold. It just figured that the sasquatch radiated heat like a furnace. They went round again and again and with each pass, Jensen settled more into the bench and the warmth of Jay. It was kind of nice.

When the ride was over, Jensen reluctantly agreed that it wasn’t half bad and let Jay lead him toward the turnstiles and away from the fair.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"For a small hike," Jay said, bringing them to the base of a hill that the fair was next to. "I’ve been climbing it all week. Come on, it won’t take long."

Jensen shrugged and followed easily, not wanting this night to end just yet.

Soon enough, they reached the top and Jay patted the ground beside him, inviting Jensen to sit down next to him.

"I had no idea there were so many lights," Jensen said, gesturing down at the fair. There must be hundreds, some blinking and others not, in every color of the spectrum.

"Yeah, it’s not the best part though." Jay laid down, folding one long arm so his hand was beneath his head. "Come and look at the stars, they’re gorgeous tonight."

Hesitantly, Jensen did, feeling Jay’s body like steel beside his. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight.

"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?" Jay asked, voice sounding close, his warm breath like a caress across Jensen’s cheek.

"You’re not looking at them," Jensen said, never taking his eyes off the white lights above.

"My view is just fine," Jay answered, his gaze not moving either. "When was the last time you looked up at the stars?"

Jensen settled himself more comfortably on the cold ground. "I used to all the time. I remember learning about them in middle school, the different constellations and just how vast the universe was. I was so sure I was going to be an astronaut."

"Why didn’t you?"

He chuckled. "I was twelve years old, it was nothing but a silly fantasy."

"I don’t think it sounds silly at all."

Jensen shrugged as best he could in his current position, still looking at the cosmos, eyes searching until– "There he is."

"Who?"

"Up there," Jensen pointed, a little to the left. "Draco the Dragon. He was my favorite constellation. For the few months I was obsessed with space, I wouldn’t go to bed until I found him."

He felt Jay’s cheek pressing against his own, face side by side with Jensen’s as he tried to see what Jensen was pointing at.

Jensen raised his index finger higher, tracing the shape as he said, "There’s the head, then his long, curving body, like he’s snaking his way around the heavens."

When a long moment passed and Jay hadn’t replied, Jensen tilted his head. Jay was looking at him, expression unreadable. "What?"

"You’re just…"

"What?" he asked again, watching Jay roll to his side, leaning up on one arm.

"You’re full of surprises," Jay finally said. "The best kind of surprises." He placed his free hand under Jensen’s chin, gently bringing it forward as he lowered his head, touching their lips together as if unable to resist.

The press of his lips was feather-light but it made Jensen’s eyes fall closed and bright sparks of light ignite all through his body.

A moment later it was like the prickly grass beneath him vanished, the only things he felt were Jay’s lips on his, Jay’s tongue in his mouth, twisting with his. He was no longer lying on the hard ground, instead he was flying, floating across the stars and watching as they all exploded into vibrant colors.

He wrapped his arms around Jay’s shoulders, not caring that he was clinging, diving in again and again for more kisses. Jay’s lips were softer than they looked, warm, teasing and enticing his but not demanding. Much like the man himself.

But there was something else there, just beneath the surface, something that spoke of possessiveness and determination. That he wasn’t scared to go after what he wanted.

Jensen moaned, Jay’s embrace tightening, mouth moving more urgently against Jensen’s as if he wanted to eat Jensen whole.

Jensen had never been kissed like this before.

He never wanted to stop.

Whatever magic Jay had spoken of the other day, it was nothing compared to the wonder to be found here, the way every cell in Jensen’s body was coming alive.

He couldn’t stop the small whine of disappointment when Jay pulled away.

"It’s getting late," Jay said quietly. "The fair’s already closed."

"What…?" he asked, looking down. All the fair lights were dark.

"You didn’t notice the lights go out?"

At the shake of Jensen’s head, Jay grinned. "I am an awesome kisser."

And that’s when it all came crashing down around Jensen. Jay acting like the kiss was no big deal when it had pretty much rocked Jensen’s world in a way Tom’s kisses never–

Oh god, _Tom_. Jensen had completely forgotten about him. Jensen had never cheated, never even dated more than one person at a time. What in the world had he been thinking, kissing another man?

Jensen shot up. "I need to go," he said, stumbling away quickly, not waiting to see if Jay followed.

He did follow. "What’s going on, Jensen?"

"Nothing, thank you for inviting me but I need to go now. I never meant to stay so late anyway. Goodbye."

"Wait, Jensen," he grasped Jensen’s elbow. "Please!"

"I’m sorry, I need to go," he said hurriedly, wrenching his arm out of Jay’s hold and the moment he was free, he fled.

Jensen wasn’t an idiot, he knew he was running, running away from Jay and everything the night, especially the kiss, had meant. Running back to his ordered life, back to Tom, and ignoring Jay’s voice frantically calling after him.

He should have never come tonight.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

  


The Sunday after the funfair and Jensen was still trying not to think about returning to work and whether or not Jay would show, the same thing he'd been turning over and over in his mind since the kiss on the hill.

Today wasn’t the day to be worrying about his own problems, though. This was Danneel’s day. His best friend was getting married today.

They'd first met in college up in Austin, ended up rooming together senior year. To this day, Danni was the only woman he’d ever thought about sleeping with.

There was just something undeniably sexy about watching football with her, Danni clad only in a Dallas Cowboys jersey and cursing up a storm during a bad play and then doing her calculus homework during commercial breaks.

After graduation, she’d decided to stay in Austin to get her teaching license and Jensen headed back to Dallas to work as a teller while getting his MBA.

Years passed and eventually Danneel accepted a position teaching high school math in West Dallas. She'd tried, in the beginning, inviting Jensen to go somewhere almost every other weekend. He refused more times than not, citing work. Eighty hour work weeks didn’t leave much time for socializing but Jensen had always done what needed to be done. He wanted to make something of himself – and he still did.

Jensen wasn’t even sure if he should have come today but one look at the bright smile on Danni’s face and his worry vanished.

"Jensen, hi! I’m so glad you could make it. Can you believe it? I’m getting married in an hour!" she said, giggling delightedly and hugging him tight as if the past five years hadn’t happened.

"You look gorgeous," he whispered in her ear.

Danneel hugged him tighter before letting go. "You don’t look so bad yourself there, Ackles."

They didn’t get a chance to say much more before Danni’s mother whisked her away to finish getting ready.

The wedding was at a posh hotel, so Jensen took the opportunity to walk the grounds, circling the lake and pool area before coming back and feeling the ground fall away from under him at seeing Jay standing near the altar, talking with the groom.

Jay had his camera in hand but before Jensen could do anything, everyone was being asked to take their seats.

It was a beautiful ceremony. Jensen hadn’t been to many weddings but something about seeing Danneel standing up there, long strands of auburn hair waving gently in the breeze, brown eyes shining as she vowed to love only one man for the rest of her life, had Jensen realizing just how much he wanted someone like that for himself.

Someone to look at him like that, like there was nothing he wanted more than to grow old with him, spend his life with him.

He bit his lip, wishing Tom was here. He couldn’t help sneaking a peek at Jay, surprised when he found Jay staring back at him. He yanked his eyes back to the happy couple, mentally scolding himself for not paying attention.

He did his best to keep his distance from Jay afterwards, staying out of the other man’s line of sight. But Jay kept popping up in his, his booming laugh making its way around the banquet hall. Jensen couldn’t help noticing as Jay flirted and danced the minutes away.

Eventually Jensen was sitting alone at his table, the others gone off somewhere and by the time he saw Jay walking over to him, it was too late to get away.

"Where’s Tommy?" Jay asked, taking a seat beside Jensen. He was the least dressed up of anyone here, black jeans and a white buttoned up shirt, no jacket, but somehow he didn’t look out of place at all.

"On a business trip."

"On the weekend? And leaving his boyfriend to go to a wedding alone?" Jay shook his head. "If I had a boyfriend, nothing would be more important to me than him."

"Yes, well, unlike you, doing a good job is important to both me and Tom," he retorted, not willing to work out why Jay’s statement hurt.

Jay frowned. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Jensen said, turning to stare coldly at Jay, "that Danneel is paying you to take pictures, not to chat up the guests or dance with everyone here. She paid for a full six hours of your time, didn’t she? And by my count, you’ve spent the last hour screwing around."

Hurt flashed in Jay’s eyes for a moment. "Then I won’t take up another minute of your friend’s precious time," Jay said quietly, standing up stiffly and picking up his camera. "Enjoy the rest of the reception."

And okay, now Jensen officially felt like a heel. He thought about going over to apologize multiple times as the night wore on but he never did. Instead he danced with Danni and made idle chit-chat with the few people he knew.

He'd only met Zach Levi a couple of times before, but he seemed like a decent guy, and it was pretty clear he thought that Danneel hung the moon, so he was all right in Jensen’s book.

When he looked over at Jay and saw him packing up, he know he couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer and made his way over to apologize.

"Look man, I was out of line earlier and I’m sorry."

"It’s fine," Jay said. He nodded his head once as if he had come to a decision. "Come on, I want to show you something." He took Jensen’s elbow and just like Friday night, Jensen followed.

Jay led him out to the parking lot, passing row after row of cars until they reached the far corner and an unbelievably rundown motorhome.

" _This_ is your Winnebago?" He hadn’t really been expecting much from Jay’s RV, but this? This was a piece of shit. Small and worn down, grill rusted, paint chipping off, scratches and dents all over.

"Home sweet home." Jay grinned as he unlocked it and gestured for Jensen to walk in first.

The inside was cleaner than Jensen would have thought. Messy but not dirty. Jay asked Jensen to wait while he went toward the back of the RV, to what Jensen assumed was the bedroom area. Jay blocked the area off and with nothing to do but wait, Jensen poked around.

The kitchen area and dinette were tiny, the toilet and shower even more so. He pulled back the curtain on the compartment over the driver and passenger seats to find that it was an overhead bed.

Having completed the tour, Jensen stared at one wall, then the other and finally down at the shaggy carpet. Bored out of his mind, he slid into one side of the dinette. On the table rested a laptop, several small stacks of photographs and the portfolio Jensen had looked at in his office.

He cocked an ear toward the back of the RV, and the sounds of Jay puttering around were loud and clear. It was probably safe to look, so Jensen opened the album until he found what he was looking for. His fingers traced along the many twisting roots of the big tree. He wanted to stand on them, climb the tree until he was high enough to touch the top, to look out into the forest high above the ground.

Huffing at how ridiculous he was being, Jensen closed the binder with impeccably good timing – and a bit of good luck. A moment later, Jay came out of the secret back room.

"C’mon," Jay said, beckoning Jensen to the back of the RV. "I want to show you something."

When Jensen walked in, he blinked at the dim light, waiting for his eyes to adjust. "You made the bedroom into a darkroom?"

"Have to do my work somewhere," Jay answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I didn’t think that darkrooms existed anymore," Jensen said, looking around. "I thought everything was moving to digital." There was barely enough room for him and Jay in the space. There were countertops and cabinets running around the entire length of the tiny room that packed them in like a couple of sardines.

"I love darkrooms. I mean, I do sometimes use my digital camera and some of the photo-editing software out there is pretty sweet, but nothing beats film photography."

There must have been a dozen pictures on a small white string that crossed the tiny area but Jensen was more interested in watching Jay than looking at them. "I’m surprised you got Danneel to go for this. She’s a picaholic, always snapping at something with her iPhone."

Jay laughed, bumping his shoulder against Jensen’s. "Don’t worry, I got about seven hundred shots with my digital camera and I’ll make her an awesome wedding CD but this…" Jay gestured with his chin to the hanging photos, his body seeming to shrink and his eyes looking everywhere but at Jensen. "It’s why I asked you to come. What, uh, what do you think of them?"

Jensen didn’t immediately look at the pictures, keeping his eyes on Jay, it was hard to see much of anything with only the light from the partly open doorway coming in. The more Jensen saw the unease on Jay, the more clear the situation became.

"How many weddings have you done?"

"This’ll be my third. Only got it because of a mutual friend with Zach, he showed Danneel the pictures I took at another wedding and… well, she’s a great girl and–"

"You don’t want to disappoint either of them," Jensen finished and Jay only nodded shyly in return.

He turned his attention to the drying photographs. The first few were standard wedding photos: the wedding party in various poses and locations, a couple shots of the ceremony, one of Danni and Zach dancing – their first dance as husband and wife, looking gorgeous together.

The photographs got more personal after that, showing little moments that Jensen had missed. The watering in Danni’s father eyes that he was trying to hide, the flower girl twirling around in her bright pink sundress with a smile as wide as Texas, the soft look on Zach’s face as he tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind his bride’s ear.

The last picture in the row was something special, though. Jensen had no idea how Jay had managed to capture so much in a single snap. Danneel was sitting, oblivious to the camera on her, tucked away in some corner – maybe wanting a break from all the festivities and revelry... Jensen wasn’t sure.

She looked tired, the light hitting in such a way that make-up couldn’t hide the bags under her eyes or the worn-out look on her face. It made him realize just how much preparation and planning she did for this day, and how she mentioned during their dancing that she hadn’t slept a wink last night.

While Danni looked weary, there was no denying that Jensen had never seen her look more content. Her eyes were shining with satisfaction, the sides of her lips curving up in a small, pleased smile. She was breathtaking. A combination of feminine strength and fragility.

"You’ve got a hell of a way with a camera." He'd said it quietly, reverently, but it seemed to roar across the silent room.

"Thank you," Jay said, his voice directly behind Jensen and when the hell did that happen? "Think they’ll like it?"

"They’ll love it," Jensen answered easily, not moving for fear it’d press him and Jay even closer. Not knowing where else to look, he glanced down and blinked in surprise.

There was a black and white picture of him in the tray.

It was a profile shot and he must have been smiling at something because the crow's feet around his eyes were out full force. The picture was close up enough that every freckle on his ears and the bridge of his nose were clearly visible. He’d always hated the darn things.

He wanted to ask why Jay had taken that picture of him but that wasn’t what came out. "Why does it smell like vinegar?"

Jensen heard the creak of the floorboard as Jay took a step forward, bringing them close enough that they were a hairsbreadth away from touching, Jay looking over Jensen’s shoulder down at the washing paper.

"It’s the acetic acid that I used in the stop bath."

"Stop bath?" he asked, wishing that Jay would take a step back as much as he wished Jay would close the remaining distance.

"It’s like a chemical bath. I pour the acetic acid in and it stops the films development so it comes out black and white instead of color."

"Oh." Jensen bit his lip, still glancing down and realizing how _good_ he looked, blurting out, "You really have a gift for this stuff."

"Nah, the camera loves you, man," Jay whispered into Jensen’s ear. "Every picture I clicked of you looks just this perfect. I’ve never seen someone as photogenic as you are."

Jensen swallowed thickly, unable to stop his gaze from turning to Jay, latching onto his mouth. He needed to leave. Now. Before he did something foolish, like kissing Jay again.

"I should go," he said, feeling Jay stiffen behind him but not caring, using his shoulder to push Jay aside. "I have to get up early tomorrow, back to work and all that…"

"Wait, what?"

Jensen didn’t answer or slow down, hurrying across the RV towards the door. "The photos are really great, I’m sure Danni and Zach will love them."

Jay rushed to follow, yelling out, "Jensen, wait!"

Only Jensen didn’t.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

  


That night was restless, between what happened with Jay and the nasty fall his grandmother took, Jensen was unable to sleep. He tossed and turned, trying to figure out what to make of Jay. He had a real gift for photography, that much was for sure.

It was shortly past midnight when he finally came to a decision.

The next day Jensen returned to the fair, silently cursing that Jay didn’t have a cell phone or any way for Jensen to reach him. Now he had to shell out the ten bucks for a ticket.

He made his way over to the photo-booth, and then cursed out loud when the attendant informed him that Jay’s shift ended thirty minutes ago. By now Jay could be just about anywhere in the city. Jensen had wasted his time and his money. Just great.

Stomping back to his car, he saw the telltale figure of a Winnebago at the far end of the parking lot and crossed his fingers. Maybe all was not lost, he thought, as the familiar shape of the rustbucket came into view. He hurried over and knocked on the door.

"Jay? It’s Jensen," he called out, sighing in relief when he heard the door unlocking.

"Hey, man!" Jay greeted as soon as the door was open. "It’s good to see you. Is everything okay? I stopped by the bank this morning but you weren’t there. Alona told me you called in." He looked Jensen up and down, brow wrinkled as if he was trying to spot what was ailing Jensen.

Jensen had to look away, not wanting Jay to see how much pleasure the knowledge that he had gone to the bank gave Jensen. "I’m fine. It’s my grandma, she fell yesterday and bruised her hip pretty bad. It's hard for her to move around, so I stayed with her today."

Jay did that thing again, when he just stared at Jensen with something unreadable in his eyes. "That was really sweet of you."

"Yeah, yeah. Can I come in or not?"

"Oh, yes. Of course!" Jay moved to the side, letting Jensen pass until they stood facing each other. "Is your grandma okay now?"

"She’s doing better, yeah." Jensen was surprised at the question, wondering why Jay, a man he barely knew, seemed to care more about a woman he didn’t really know than Tom, who had met Gramms several times but hadn't done anything but complained to Jensen about canceling their dinner plans.

He knew that Tom had really wanted to see him today after being gone nearly a week (Jensen had wanted to see him too) but Gramms' health took precedence over getting laid.

"I just left to grab dinner for us and to give you this," Jensen said, pulling out the check he'd written this morning.

"Huh?" Jay asked. "What’s this?"

"I’m giving you a loan," he explained with a small smile, shuffling his feet. "Three thousand dollars like you wanted."

"Yes, but–" He stared at the small piece of paper Jensen had thrust into his hand, eyebrows furrowed. "This is a personal check, you can’t–"

"I can and I have. There was no way Edlund bank will give you the loan, Jay, I’m sorry. But I can lend you the money myself."

Jay shook his head, still looking a little shell shocked. "I can’t let you do this, it’s too risky."

Now Jensen was puzzled. He had expected Jay to be, well maybe not quite ecstatic, but pleased. "You said last week you were good for it."

"Last week I was talking to a bank manager, now I… you’re…" he fumbled for words, hands gesturing towards Jensen as if he wasn’t sure exactly what Jensen was to him.

"Yes?" Jensen tried to tell his stupid heart to stop beating so wildly.

"You’re... a friend," Jay said finally. "I can’t take money from a friend." Jay held out the check, waving it at Jensen.

He shook his head. "You’re not _taking_ it. It’s a loan. And don’t think I’m not getting anything out of it – I’m going to charge you the full interest rate."

Jay grinned. "I would expect nothing less, Mr. Ackles."

"Good," he said, happy that the matter was settled. He’d made the right decision, Jay deserved this chance. "I’ll have the paperwork ready in a couple days, will you still be here?"

"Yeah, Wednesday is my last day with the fair. Shift ends at closing, seven pm." Jay folded the check, sliding it into his back pocket. "I swear I’ll pay you back."

"Never had any doubt." An image of a smirking Alona popped into his head then. "Just, um, don’t cash it at Edlund, okay? I may never be able to look my staff in the eye again, especially Alona."

Jay laughed, dimples and perfect teeth and really, how was that even fair? "I won’t. Promise."

Jensen ducked his head, pushing up his glasses. "Well, guess I better be going now. See you Wednesday."

"Wait," Jay said and for once, Jensen did.

"What?"

"This."

Jay wrapped his arms around Jensen and it took a few pitifully long seconds for Jensen to realize that Jay was _hugging_ him. "Thank you, Jensen. I can’t tell you what your faith in me means."

"Yeah, uh, sure. No problem." He couldn’t remember the last time someone had just hugged him and finally – after thinking _why the hell not?_ – he hugged back.

"So," Jay replied when they pulled apart. "You mentioned you were getting dinner?"

"Yup, probably just pick up a pizza or something on my way back."

"Let me cook for you guys instead," Jay said – in a rush, as if it was a split second decision and if the words weren’t spoken quickly, they never would have been uttered at all.

Jensen raised an eyebrow. "You want to cook for me and my grandma?"

"I do," Jay answered, setting his shoulders. "I kick ass in a kitchen."

He looked at Jay doubtfully. "Really?"

"Uh-huh. So, what do you say?"

He wasn’t sure. Jay meeting Gramms didn’t sound like – wait, a minute, that actually sounded perfect. Jay’s hair was oily, making Jensen think he hadn’t showered today and he smelled a little ripe too. If there was one thing she hated, it was poor hygiene.

It was foolproof; she would take one look at Jay with his board shorts and black wife-beater with skulls on it, and realize just how ill-suited he was for Jensen. Maybe then she would stop pushing them together and bad-mouthing Tom.

Well, probably not, but showing her what a ruffian Jay really was would work perfectly.

"Okay, sure," Jensen finally said, grinning wickedly.

"Great! Just give me like ten minutes to shower and change. The AC in the photo-booth is broken, must have been a hundred degrees in there today."

Aw, hell. "Nah, man, it’s cool, you’re fine. Let’s just go. I really don’t want to leave her by herself much longer."

"Are you sure?"

"You’re fine," Jensen repeated, breathing out a quick and silent thank you to the universe when Jay locked up and followed him to his car.

He was a genius.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

  


He was an idiot.

Gramms and Jay had taken one look at each other before their faces lit up, shouting, "Mrs. White!" and "Jay!" at the same time, Jay throwing his big arms around her, lifting her off the ground before seeming to remember her injury and setting her down gently, looking contrite.

"Oh gosh, your hip, I’m so sorry, did I hurt you?" he asked.

"I’m fine, dear. It’s really not that bad, I’ve been trying to tell that to Jensen all day but when has that foolish boy ever listened to me."

"He’s just worried about you, Mrs. White," Jay said before Jensen could open his own mouth to defend himself.

"Tsk, what did I tell you about calling me that?"

"Sorry, Betty. Oh, man." He looked at Jensen. "Why didn’t you tell me she was your grandma?"

Jensen shrugged. "It never came up."

"He’s never told anyone at the bank I’m his grandmother. He doesn’t want them to think he plays favorites," she explained. "Wants them to think he has a heart of steel but between me and you?" She paused, looking around and leaning closer to Jay as if she had some big secret to share and stage whispered, "He’s really a big softie."

Jensen rolled his eyes as Jay snickered, crossing his heart and promising he wouldn’t tell a soul.

"Yes, well," she said after a minute, eyeing Jay up and down. "Not that it isn’t lovely to see you again, but you’re all sweaty, dear, what have you been do–oh! Oh my, have you and Jensen been–"

"Gramms!" Jensen yelped, appalled at his grandmother.

"Oh stop being such a stick-in-the-mud," she said, frowning. "It’s a perfectly logical assumption."

"I have a boyfriend," he reminded her for the umpteenth time.

Gramms flicked her hand in the air as if waving off Jensen’s statement. "That yokel. He does nothing but spend his days spouting fancy words and twisting facts. Unlike like Jay here," she said, both her and Jensen turning to look at him and noticing his poor attempt at stifling a laugh.

She wrapped one hand around Jay’s bicep and continued on, "Unlike Jay here who spends his days doing honest work–oh goodness, those are quite the muscles you have there."

"Jay, stop flexing for my grandma, Grandma stop copping a feel of the company. He’s here to cook us dinner."

"You can cook too? How marvelous!" She clapped her hands together, smiling widely. "If Jensen doesn’t grab you up, I’m taking you for myself."

"I would be honored to have you, Betty," Jay replied, taking Gramms’ hand and kissing it.

A very rosy flush blossomed across his grandmother’s cheeks.

Jensen frowned. He should have known the universe hated him.

"I’ll be in my room," he muttered, grumbling his way up the stairs.

He spent the next hour hearing Jay’s snorty chuckles and his grandmother's schoolgirl-like giggles every few minutes coming up the vents before Gramms yelled, "Jensen, sweetie, dinner is ready! Come and eat!"

Jensen stumbled downstairs, watching the pair set the table, the _dining_ room table, the one Gramms only used when she was trying to impress.

"Take a seat, Jay," she said. "I don’t know about you but I am famished and it’s been so long since I had hot dogs. I can’t wait!"

" _That’s_ what you cooked?" Jensen asked, looking at Jay.

"Boiled some ramen too," Jay added, appearing quite pleased with himself.

"Jensen, would you please go and get the breadbasket and butter? Then we can dig in."

He did as instructed, eyes narrowing when he returned and saw that Gramms had taken the chair next to Jay, leaving Jensen to sit across.

Jay wasted no time in filling up his plate and shoveling the food in. Jensen was slower, more hesitant, but he had to admit the food was good, salty and fatty, reminding him of his college days when simple foods were all he could afford.

Gramms seemed to be having a good time, happily chatting with Jay and helping herself, and then Jay, to a second portion. "Jensen mentioned you lived in a RV. Do you really?"

"Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I can go where I want, when I want. Different places, different people, different things to do and see."

"It can’t be much of a life though," Jensen replied around a forkful of noodles. "No roots, no stability or family ties."

"They only tie you down. There’s a whole world out there, why should I settle in any one place?"

Jensen pushed up his glasses, glaring at Jay. "Yes, why have people depend on you? Why have any responsibilities at all?"

"Jensen, that wasn’t nice," Gramms scolded. "Jay was simply saying he wants to travel. There is nothing wrong with that, especially for someone so young. And so should you, dear. You should be out having fun, seeing the world instead of living at the bank."

"You know perfectly well I don’t live in the bank," he said, not realizing how hard he was buttering his biscuit until it broke in two. "I come home every night, help you get ready every morning."

"You’ve been very helpful, dear, I didn’t mean to imply you haven’t." She glanced over at Jay and explained, "Jensen moved in here shortly after my Henry passed ten months ago."

"I’m so sorry," Jay said, putting down his drink and reaching to cover Gramms' hand with his own.

"It’s alright. I was a mess at the time but Jensen, he somehow get out of his lease and came to take care of me. He was still working at the Dallas branch of Edlund Bank then, poor boy had to commute every day."

"It wasn’t a big deal. Mom and Pop have a mortgage, Mac’s in college, Josh and Karen just got married and I lived alone in an apartment. It was easiest for me to move."

"Still," Jay said, "you didn’t have to move, that was very caring of you."

"She’s my grandma, of course I had to move. I couldn’t leave her alone at a time like that," Jensen said, meeting Jay’s eyes and then looking away.

"And I’m very thankful you did," she replied with a gentle look at Jensen, "but I’m better now. I don’t need you taking care of me anymore."

"Gramms–"

"How about some dessert?" she asked. "I bought the most delightful truffles the other day."

"Oh, I love truffles!" Jay piped up.

Jensen snorted. "Is there a sweet you don’t love?"

While they ate the dense and decadent dessert, Gramms made them tell her about the fair, her eyes shining with happiness. She practically levitated out of her chair when she heard that Jensen had given Jay a personal loan.

"The timing couldn’t have been better," Jay said. "With me leaving in a few days, it gives me just enough time to buy the lenses I want before I’m off."

"Off where?" Jensen frowned.

"My bookings. Remember, I told you about them?" Jay’s voice was soft, as if he himself didn’t like the reminder.

"Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot about that."

"About what?" Gramms asked. "Where is Jay going?"

"All around Texas," Jensen answered her. "He has several engagements lined up and hopes to use the time in-between visiting the various state parks."

"Oh, how exciting! It sounds like quite the adventure. Where are you going to first?"

"Out east… let me see, I have the list somewhere." Jay began to search his pockets, finally pulling out a small piece of paper out and reading it. "Lake Tawakoni first, I think. Then Taylor State Park, Fort Boggy, Kickapoo Cavern, a bag of Twizzlers – oh, sorry, wrong list. I have some more written down somewhere."

"You don’t have a date planner?" Jensen was horrified. "Give me that," he said, snagging the list of out Jay’s hand. "These are just locations. No dates. Do you have another list for that?"

"Yep, I think I left it by my laptop. Or maybe in another pair of shorts…." Jay shrugged.

"How are you going to match it up with where your bookings are? You should have it all in one place, a clearly planned itinerary. I swear, you are so disorganized."

Gramms nodded and patted Jay’s shoulder. "It does sound like you are a wee bit disorganized, but that’s okay." A sweet smile spread across her face – the picture of all innocence – and Jensen just _knew_ something bad was coming.

"Jensen here," she continued with a quick finger point in his direction, "loves organization, he thrives on order. It’s perfect, really. He can go with you, be your itinerary planner."

"Absolutely not!" Jensen blurted out.

"What a great idea," Jay said at the exact same moment, smiling brightly.

"And why not, dear?" Gramms asked. "You’ve barely taken any vacation in all the years you’ve been with Edlund. I’m sure you have the time. And think how fun it will be! The open road, a new place every day!"

"I’ve only been the manager for eight months, I can’t just take a few weeks off," Jensen said, but the idea (just him and Jay and nothing but the road) was already taking shape in his mind. He shook his head. "And the short notice! No, no. It wouldn’t work at all."

Maybe Jay could take him to up to Hamilton Pool Preserve for a swim. Or if they were going west enough, Jensen could see Cibolo Creek. He pictured it then: him and Jay both shirtless, spread out on the soft green moss, trading slow kiss after slow kiss with nothing but the sun on their backs and the sound of the gentle moving stream in their ears. Jensen shook his head to clear it.

"I would love to have you come with me, show you around Texas," Jay said. "Just think about it, okay?"

A beat passed, then two. "I’ll think about it."

"Great!"

 

~ ~ ~ ~

  


On the drive back to Jay’s Winnebago, he couldn’t stop talking about Gramms. "What an amazing lady! It must be so awesome to have her as a grandma."

"She liked you too," Jensen said with a chuckle. Maybe his genius plan didn’t work out but seeing his grandmother full of smiles and livelier then she’d been since Grandpa died could only be a good thing in his book.

There was hardly any traffic and all too soon, they reached the fairgrounds. Jensen parked his car not far from Jay’s door and turned the car off, happy when Jay made no move to get out.

They sat there in silence for a few moments, Jensen staring out the window before turning his head to Jay. "You’re really leaving soon?"

"Yeah. Sometime Thursday."

"Oh." Not knowing what else to do, Jensen looked down and started drumming on the steering wheel.

"Hey, man." Jay cupped Jensen’s chin with his hand, tilting Jensen’s head up until their eyes met. "I’m coming back in a couple weeks, three tops. As soon as I can, okay?"

Jensen pulled Jay’s hand away. "Or maybe the road will call to you and you won’t come back at all." He tried to sound as casual as he could. After all, what should it matter to him if Jay came back or not? He could always mail his loan payments.

"I’ll come back," Jay said resolutely, as if there was no doubt in his mind. He reached a hand out again to Jensen, but seemed to have thought against it, and lowered it back to his lap. "I promise."

 

~ ~ ~ ~

  


Jensen let himself back in Gramms house quietly, not wanting to wake her in case she was already sleeping. No need though, as she was sitting on the couch, waiting for him and grinning from ear to ear.

"Hello, dear! Did you have a good drive? Jay is certainly something, isn’t he? What a darling young man."

"He’s alright, I guess," Jensen conceded, closing the door and locking up.

Gramms stood up. "Oh hush, you. I’ve known you since the day you were born and there is no use pretending with me that you’re not already half in love with him. You can’t keep your eyes off him."

Half in love? Where did she get these ideas? "I was only concerned for you, that you might find the company too much. He’s not the kind of person you usually associate with."

"Such a shame that. The world needs more people like him. So full of life and virility."

Jensen blinked. " _Virility_?"

"Uh-huh," she said, getting a dreamy, faraway look in her eyes. "Can’t you just picture him in skin tight buckskins, with a cowboy hat and nothing else? Oooh, or maybe in just a loincloth."

"O- _kay_ , I think you've had too many painkillers today." He took his grandmother’s elbow gently. "Let’s get you upstairs. You’ll feel better in the morning."

"You are no fun," she said with a pout. "You sound just like Henry, or worse yet, like your mama. Bless their hearts but they’d have thrown your Jay right out the house."

"He isn’t my Jay," Jensen said sternly, tugging her along with more force than he usually did.

"But Jensen–"

"Enough of this, Gramms, let’s just go to bed," he muttered, not taking no for an answer.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Jensen had the contract in hand when he arrived at Jay’s door Wednesday night. The fair workers were busy packing everything up and loading it into trucks and trailers, getting ready to move on to wherever their next stop was.

Jay answered the door quickly, dimples out, and it didn’t take long for them to go over the contract as it was pretty cut and dry, just the way Jensen liked it. The interest rate was lower than what the bank usually charged, but he saw no reason to tell Jay that.

"If you agree to the terms, then just sign on the last page," Jensen instructed with a pen in hand, while they were sitting across from each other in the dinette.

"I thought the average banking interest rate was around five percent in Texas? This is only three."

Jensen's eyes widened. Jay was certainly full of surprises. "With such a small loan, the bank doesn’t charge as much," he lied.

Jay did the thing again, where he just looked at Jensen for awhile, and then blurted out, "Come with me."

"What?"

"Come _with_ me," he repeated. "Just for a couple weeks. We can go hiking, it’s so beautiful this time of year. You’ll see all the flowers just starting to bloom and maybe a baby deer or two. I can teach you how to fish. Heck, if you’re up for it, we can go white water rafting."

"Jay, I–I don’t know."

Jay grinned. "That isn’t a no."

Helpless to do anything but smile back himself, Jensen said, "Isn’t a yes either."

"But you want to; I can see it in your eyes. Come on, what’s stopping you? You don’t need to do anything, just pack some clothes."

"Work–"

"Will still be here when you get back," Jay replied smoothly. "I need to be back in Dallas in two weeks anyway. Just give me two weeks."

"You have another booking?" Jensen asked, ears perking up.

"Something like that," Jay said, tugging at the collar of his god-awful threadbare striped shirt. "What do you say?"

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

"What the hell?!" Tom roared across his spacious penthouse apartment, nostrils flaring and body taking up twice the space it usually did. "No, absolutely not. I forbid it."

"You _forbid_ it?" Jensen’s mouth hit the floor, he was so stunned. And pissed. What gave him the right? "You aren’t the boss of me. If I want to go, I can. And I will."

Tom narrowed his eyes at Jensen. "Oh, and I’m just supposed to be okay with my boyfriend spending two weeks with a man I don’t know. Who the fuck is he?"

"Just a guy from the bank."

"From the bank?!" Tom threw his arms out. Jensen had never seen him like this, usually he was so calm and composed. "I've met all the guys from the bank, and _Jay_ is not one of them. Now you're lying to me, too?"

"No!" Jensen yelled, suddenly aware of how loud this was getting and taking a deep breath. "No, I mean he came in for a loan, but I couldn’t give him one–"

"And you want to go on a trip with this guy," Tom said incredulously. "A guy you couldn't give a loan to?"

"No, he’s–" Jensen stopped, taking an unconscious step back because Jay wasn’t just some guy from the bank, not just a guy he couldn’t give a loan to. He was so much more. Jensen wanted to go on this trip, yes, but even more so, he wanted to go with _Jay_.

"I'm going," Jensen said quietly. "And you have no say in the matter."

"The hell I don't," Tom said. "You're my boyfriend and I am not going to let you –"

"Not anymore." Suddenly every cutting remark Tom had ever said about his Gramms came flooding in, every time he blithely ignored what was important to Jensen to talk about his day and his worries and his life –

"Not anymore?" Tom fumed, stalking over to stand menacingly close. "What, you're breaking up with me?"

"Gramms was right about you," Jensen realized aloud, thinking of all the little jabs she'd made about him over the years.

"That woman is two hundred years old and senile!" Tom shouted, right in Jensen's face. "She needs to be put in a home!"

That was the final straw. Jensen had known this was coming but couldn't look it in the face. It was the storm cloud over the relationship that'd been developing since Jay came into his life. He should have done this weeks ago. _Years ago_ , he thought, images of Jay and Gramms laughing raucously over dinner together in his mind.

"Bye, Tommy," he said, backing away from him before turning around to head for the door. As he stood in the doorway, he glanced over his shoulder to see Tom open-mouthed and disbelieving. Jensen smiled wryly. "Good luck finding a man without a care in the world but you."

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

When Jensen finally agreed to go, Jay stayed in Dallas an extra day to let Jensen work six hours on Friday, but that didn't keep him from arriving at Gramms' door at exactly three o’clock.

"You’re early," Jensen complained but was quickly pushed away from the door by Gramms.

"Welcome, sweetie! Don’t you mind Jensen, he’s almost ready, just needs to pack a few sweaters in case it gets chilly." She waved Jay in. "Come inside and have a cup of tea with me, you can tell me about the wonderful places you’re taking my grandbaby to."

"I would love to, Betty," Jay replied, beaming.

Jensen left the two of the alone as he went upstairs, making it two steps before Jay called out, "And no sneaking your laptop in your bag, this is a vacation, no work allowed."

That stopped Jensen in his tracks. "What do you mean ‘no work’? I can’t–"

"Jay has a point, what fun is a vacation if you spend it working? We won’t allow it."

Jensen looked back and forth from Gramms to Jay, gaping. They stood strong together, resolute. "Fine. No laptop."

This time he managed three steps up before Jay called, "And no smart phone."

Dammit, how had he known? "I can’t not bring a phone, what if something happens?"

"He has a point," Gramms said to Jay. "Perhaps he could bring it along for emergencies?"

"Okay," Jay agreed. "You can bring it for non-work related phone calls and that’s it."

Jensen’s mouth hung open in disbelief. "No, no, no. What if something happens at work? I can’t go that long without at least checking my work email."

"Yes, you can," Jay wheedled. "The world does continue to turn when you're not around."

"No," Jensen says, putting his foot down. "I have to at least keep up on email."

Jay sighed extravagantly. "Fine. An hour a day for work emails on your iPhone."

"Three," Jensen shot back.

Jay’s eyes narrowed. "One hour, that’s all."

Jensen tapped his foot in irritation. "Two."

"One."

Seconds ticked by, the clock in the hallway marking them off impossibly loud while they looked each other squarely in the eye. Jay stood at his full height, looking at Jensen head on. It was like they were in some oddly formal staring contest.

Jensen rolled his eyes. "Fine." He turned away, marching up the stairs and breathing a sigh of relief once we made it into his room without Jay on his heels.

He finished packing quickly, then with an eye on the door, he got on his laptop, checking his email, answering the new ones and softly cursing when he heard Gramms calling out, asking what was taking so long.

He closed up his laptop, laying it on the small desk and grabbing his two duffel bags, swinging them over his shoulder and making his way downstairs.

Jay smiled when he saw Jensen. "Ready, man?"

"Yeah." He stepped up to his grandmother. "Are you sure you’ll be okay?"

"I’ll be fine, dear," she soothed. "My hip doesn’t hurt anymore and you’ll only be gone for two weeks."

"But if you need something–"

"Your parents will come – Richardson isn’t that far away. And Josh is only twenty minutes away, too. I’ll be fine."

Jensen wasn’t so sure. "But–"

"No buts. Now come and give your Gramms a hug." She opened his arms and Jensen was quick to step in, wrapping his arms around her tight. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Go on, dear. Go and have an adventure."

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

It only took forty minutes for Jensen to get tired of looking out the window. Jay refused to tell him where they were going, so with nothing much to do, Jensen went into the back of the RV, settled into one side of the dinette and took out his iPhone.

Hey, he still had today’s hour, right?

It worked out well, as about sixty minutes later, the Winnebago stopped and Jay called out, "We’re here!"

"Here" turned out to be a barren wasteland.

"It’s a desert," Jensen observed as they stepped outside.

"I know, isn’t it great?" Jay said happily.

Jensen eyed him dubiously. "There’s nothing here but dirt and dead patches of grass. I’m pretty sure a tumbleweed is going to roll by any second." And if to prove his point, one actually did. "See? There’s nothing here for miles."

"But that’s the best part! Nearest civilization is a good ten miles away, at least. It’s just you, me, and the land. And dinner," he added with a chuckle after his stomach grumbled. "C’mon, help me get the folding chairs and hibachi grill out."

"Grill?" Jensen asked, ears perking up. What man didn’t love food hot off the grill?

"Yep, bought two Texas-sized T-bones last night. Nothing but the best for you, Jenny."

"Call me Jenny again and I will end you," Jensen threatened. Josh had insistently called him that when there were kids. He hadn’t liked it then, and he certainly didn’t like it any better now.

Jay pouted. "You’re no fun."

"Stop your whining and make me dinner, sasquatch."

"Yes, sir," Jay replied with a mock salute, scurrying up the steps. Jensen took the opportunity to check out his ass, pert and slightly rounded.

Dinner was… interesting. The steaks Jay cooked were nothing like the ones in restaurants that Tom had always taken Jensen to. They were too rough and fatty and the baked potato was overcooked but the ice cold beer washed down easy and there was something to be said for eating outside. Fresh air all around, slight breeze weaving through their hair, both sitting back and relaxing in the Winnebago’s shadow while looking out at the world.

They cleaned their plates, burping loudly, and sharing a chuckle as they sat side by side with the cooler between them.

Somewhere along the way, the sun started setting and Jensen was taken aback at the sight before him. The sky was a deep, royal blue and the horizon a bright dark yellow that almost hurt Jensen’s eyes to look at it.

Soon, the land grew dark, to the point where all he could see was the neverending sky. Watching as it grew darker and darker until no yellow remained, and the blue turned to black as the moon began to rise.

"C’mon," Jay said, voice cutting through the quiet night as he stood up and offered Jensen his hand. He grabbed a blanket before showing Jensen how to climb to the top of the Winnebago.

They lay down on the roof, on top of the quilt, not saying much, just looking up at the stars.

Jensen pointed out Draco to Jay when he found the constellation, moving closer until their sides were pressed together.

"So," Jay said after a few minutes of silence, shifting even closer to Jensen. "Tommy was okay with you spending a couple weeks with me?"

Jensen turned his head toward Jay but Jay was still looking up. "Actually, we broke up."

Whatever Jensen had been hoping for Jay’s reaction to the break up, the immediate stiffening and sitting up wasn’t it.

"You broke up? When?"

"Yesterday," he answered, staring at Jay’s broad back suddenly stiff as a board.

"Why?" Jay twisted his body to face Jensen, his eyebrows knitted.

Jensen swallowed. Jay may have been the catalyst, but he wasn't the reason for the break-up. Jensen knew, somehow, that he shouldn't say it was because of the trip, or Jay, or anything to do with him. "It just wasn’t working out anymore."

Jay nodded slowly. "You'd been dating a long time though…"

"Over two years," Jensen confirmed.

"And you just broke up," Jay muttered, picking at some dirt on the top of the RV. "Right before you were going to leave with me."

"What?" Jensen asked, not sure he'd heard Jay right. "The trip came up, but that wasn't it – I just realized–"

"Okay," Jay said, standing up quickly. "It’s late and we have to get up early to make it to Longview by mid-morning."

"Longview? I thought we were going to Lake Tawakoni tomorrow?" Jensen asked, staring up at him from where he was lying.

"I got a call for a booking. Chuck E. Cheese opening in Longview. Lake Tawakoni will have to wait." Jay offered him a hand and Jensen reluctantly let Jay pull him up.

"Oh," Jensen said, trying not to sound too disappointed. Jay was growing his business, after all. He needed to take all the bookings he could get. He followed Jay inside, wondering what he was supposed to be doing while Jay snapped pictures of pizza-smeared kids.

"You can take the overhead bed," Jay offered once he locked the door.

"What about you?" Jensen asked. He hadn't given any thought to their sleeping arrangements, but this was certainly not what he expected.

Jay looked down, avoiding Jensen's eyes. "I’ll take the floor."

"No, the floor’s too hard," Jensen insisted. "We can share or something."

Jay moved the drape covering the bed. "Two people aren’t going to fit in there. I barely fit."

"Then I’ll take the floor." Jensen tried not to sound exasperated, but things weren’t going the way they were supposed to. If there wasn't room for them to share – and a quick look around reminded him that there really wasn't – then he wasn't going to kick Jay out of his own bed.

"You’re my guest, Jensen. I’m not letting you sleep the floor. It’s fine," Jay said, opening up a cabinet that was filled with bedding. "See? I have lots of blankets and a sleeping bag. I’ll be fine."

Jensen looked doubtful and only agreed to take the bed after making Jay pile on twice as many blankets as he was going to.

"Good night," Jay said as Jensen climbed into the bunk.

"Good night," Jensen answered softly, wondering how everything had veered so far off course.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Five days into Jensen’s vacation, it wasn’t at all what he had thought it'd be. They had yet to visit any forests or go camping or hiking or any of the things Jay had said they would. Instead, they went from one of Jay’s bookings to the next.

Jay had an events pop up every day and the time inbetween was all spent driving or eating at local diners. Turned out Jay couldn’t cook to save his life and Jensen wasn’t much better.

They'd been in Austin and were supposed to stop at Hamilton Pool for a few hours but someone called Jay at the last minute, asking him to do a wedding the next day. The wedding was all the way in El Paso, and Jensen didn’t feel right nay-saying Jay's livelihood for his vacation, so Jay agreed to go, ruining their plans for a swim in the natural pool because they had to get on the road right away.

Jensen tried to be a good sport; the last minute bookings meant that Jay's business was taking off and Jensen was glad for him. He was just getting a little tired of watching Jay work birthday parties or being left for most of the day while Jay did a wedding. But when Jay had handed Jensen a cashier’s check for six hundred dollars, he seemed so proud, Jensen didn’t have the heart to complain.

They'd been getting along great, in the stolen moments around Jay's events. Normally people who were doggedly cheerful got on Jensen's nerves, but Jay didn't. His smile was too infectious. He wasn't affected by Jensen's pissy moods either (which were more and more frequent as nature park destinations were dropped off the itinerary for birthday parties and bar mitzvahs). Jay didn't avoid him like everyone at the bank. He stayed with Jensen, too close, until Jensen's mood broke. He couldn't stay annoyed when Jay's goofballness kept making him grin.

There was other stuff too. Jensen genuinely liked spending time with Jay. They both loved the Dallas Cowboys an unhealthy amount and because of that, Jensen was almost ready to forgive Jay’s love of the Spurs. Almost.

Sharing such a small space had them nearly on top of each other a lot, which wasn’t as unpleasant as Jensen would have thought. It was getting harder and harder for him to fall asleep though, Jay only a few feet away and all Jensen’s mind could think about was tracing Jay’s tattoo with his tongue, wondering if he was inked or pieced anywhere else, wondering what six and a half feet of solid muscle would feel like sliding against him.

It didn't help that every night they climbed up to the roof of the RV, shooting the shit as they watched the stars. Last night they had fallen asleep up there, awoken tangled together and Jensen had leaned in for a kiss, only centimeters away from touching their lips when Jay had jerked away.

"What?" Jensen asked, looking around for the bug or whatever it had been.

"Nothing," Jay answered, rolling to his feet in one smooth motion. "I'm… sorry. We shouldn't have fallen asleep out here."

"Why not?" Jensen asked, looking around. The sun was low in the sky and there was a dome of pale blue overhead that portended a gorgeous but hot day – perfect for Jim Beaver's sixtieth birthday party. He pushed the thought out of his mind, just wanting to get Jay back in his arms. "Didn't rain on us."

"No," Jay answered, offering his hand to help Jensen up. "But the dew probably got your clothes almost as wet."

Jensen took Jay's hand, trying to tip him back over, but the bastard was too well-balanced, and pulled Jensen up awkwardly instead. He ended up flailing and trying to find his feet. Once he started moving, he could feel how damp his clothes were.

"Come on," Jay said, sliding his hand out of Jensen's grip with a weirdly-practiced ease. "We're going to have to hit a laundromat this morning."

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

There was nothing for Jensen to do during Jim Beaver's sixtieth birthday party. Certainly no one to talk to and the music was making his ears bleed. He couldn’t wait for it to end. Jay was finally event-free for the next two days and he’d told Jensen last night that with them being so close to San Antonio, they could spend the time camping along Cibolo Creek.

Jensen’d been looking forward to it since.

"He’s great with children, isn’t he?" a young, pretty woman remarked as she come to stand next to Jensen, her eyes on Jay.

Jensen hummed an agreement. There were two small kids, no older than five, treating Jay like a set of monkey bars, swinging off his arms, giggling delightedly as Jay made all kinds of funny faces and joined in the laughter.

"Does he do children’s birthdays?"

Something very similar to dread started brewing in Jensen’s belly, hoping their plans weren’t about to be ruined. "He’s done a few, yes."

"Is he free tomorrow night?" she asked and yup, there it went. Jensen’s stomach plummeted. "I know it’s short notice but my nephew is turning ten and his parents are going all out. Bouncy castle, balloons, piñatas, even a magician. They don’t have much money left for a photographer, so I’ve been trying to find one – to surprise them, you know? But well, everyone I called was so expensive and Jim mentioned how reasonable Jay’s rates are and–"

Jensen cut her off. "You’ll have to ask Jay yourself. And look, here he comes now."

Jay looked over at Jensen, silently asking for permission, appearing apologetic but obviously not enough to refuse the job. Jensen bit his lip, pushing up his glasses tiredly and finally gave a small nod.

"Oh, thank you so much!" the woman said, smiling brightly. "My sister owns a ranch with her husband about twenty miles from here. Here, let me draw you a map, it gets a little tricky once you leave the highway. You can drive there tonight and park near the house."

After scribbling on a piece of paper, she gave Jay a quick hug, thanking them again. "I’ll see you tomorrow and I’ll bring you a check then. Thank you again!"

Jay turned to Jensen, grinning full out. "Another booking, Jensen, isn’t that awesome?!"

"Yeah, wonderful," Jensen said, not able to keep the disappointment from creeping into his voice. "Let’s pack up and go get something to eat, okay? I’m starving."

Jay frowned. "You don’t sound excited."

Jensen sighed. He might as well admit it, he'd already been childish enough to pout about not getting his way. "What about Cibolo Creek?"

"We’ll still go there Friday, plenty of time," Jay said in a reassuring voice.

"Unless another person comes in with another booking," Jensen muttered, trying not to sound bitter and pretty much failing.

Jay tilted his head, studying Jensen. "Word of mouth is all I have – I can’t afford any advertisements. I thought you understood that?"

Jensen shrugged, he knew all too well. "Whatever. Let’s just leave, alright? We’re both tired and hungry. Let’s just get something to eat and then go to bed."

Jay looked at Jensen for a long moment before finally nodding and packing up his camera.

It just figured that by the time they got to the restaurant, it was raining steadily.

"Jim told me it’s only going to get worse," Jay said. "Maybe we should leave for the farm now before it gets too bad?"

"Fine, you start the Winnebago, I’ll go grab some jerky from the back or something."

Jensen cursed when he saw they were out of the jerky, he had just bought a bag yesterday. Jay must have eaten the whole thing earlier. Damn hooligan, always having the last of everything and never telling Jensen.

He filled his hands with granola bars and two cold cokes, placing the drinks in the cup holders and throwing a couple bars on Jay’s lap before slumping into the passenger seat.

They drove the highway in silence, the rain not stopping.

Eventually, Jay took an off-ramp and asked, "You’ve got the map, right? Where to now?"

Jensen squinted at the hastily made drawing. "I think it says take I-37 to Route 281."

"I did that, I need to know where to go next."

"I know," Jensen said, turning the map this way and that, trying to see in the dark. "I’m getting to that but I can only see the map when you pass under a street lamp. Give me a second."

"Okay, sorry," Jay apologized, turning on one of the interior car lights.

"Turn left at Farm to Market 791," Jensen directed after a few seconds.

"Crap, I think we just passed that," Jay whined, braking and looking both ways before turning the RV in a galumphing u-turn. They jounced in their seats as the RV went onto the shoulder and partway into the ditch before getting turned around.

Jensen squinted at the road sign to make sure they were on the right road, laying the paper on his lap, smoothing out the corners where he had unconsciously crinkled it.

Jay mumbled something under his breath that Jensen couldn’t make out with the rain pounding against the windows.

"If you have something to say to me, then just fucking say it."

Jay’s hands were turning white, they were clenching so hard. "How about you just tell me where the hell I turn next?"

"Fine." Jensen glanced down at the map. "Left on Emerson Drive."

It was hard to see much of anything with the darkness and downpour, the wipers blades working overtime, both Jay and Jensen straining to see the road coming up.

"There’s a sign coming up, but I can’t read it," Jensen said. "Go slow."

"I _am_ going slow, I can’t exactly drive fast with all this rain."

Jensen rolled his eyes, choking down the urge to throttle Jay. "I didn’t say you were driving fast, only that you should slow down so I can read the sign that’s coming up."

Jay pressed the brake, stopping the RV. "Is this slow enough for you?" he asked, voice calm but when he turned to look at Jensen, his eyes were cold and annoyed.

"This is perfect, thank you," he gritted out through his teeth. Damn sign was still too hard to read though and Jensen got out, running up to the sign then back inside again. "Emerson Drive. Go left."

Jay eyed Jensen’s wet clothes with disdain. "You could have at least waited for me to set a towel down before making the seat wet."

"You should've put one down while I was getting soaked in the rain," Jensen shot back. "Just drive."

Jay opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something, but didn’t, clamping his lips shut and gunning the RV, careening around the turn, He squinted his eyes, trying to maneuver the road. "Where did all the street lights go? I can’t see anything."

"We should be at the ranch soon."

"How do you know?"

Jensen waved around the drawing. "Because I have the map. It says this road should lead us to the ranch, just a few more miles."

" _Miles?_ " Jay echoed, right as the Winnebago hit a huge pot hole and lurched.

Jensen grabbed the side of his seat. "Better go slow then or we’ll never make it."

"Ya think, Sherlock?"

Jensen bit back his annoyed answer and tensed all over, clinging to the seat for dear life. It took ten more minutes before they saw anything but rain and dark, but Jensen's squinting into the abyss finally paid off.

"Wait," Jensen said, cupping his hands around his face and pressing it to the window. "I think I see lights ahead. It must be the ranch house."

"Thank you, lord." Jay let out a long breath.

"Turn here," Jensen said, pointing to the right, "before you miss it."

Jay ducked down to look out Jensen's window. "I don’t see a road."

"We’re not too far from the ranch, just drive toward it."

Jay pressed the brake, staring at Jensen with the cold annoyance again. "What if I drive us into a ditch?"

"Fine," Jensen snapped. "I’ll find you a goddamned road." He jumped out, slamming the door behind him.

He took three steps before landing right in a huge puddle. Then another.

He closed his eyes, trying to relax enough to unclench his fists. What was a little more water when he was already drenched? A few more steps and he found a nice broad apron off the road they were on, one that was obviously the driveway. He waved Jay toward him and waited while the Winnebago bounced closer.

Suddenly the house lights went out, followed by the RV dipping alarmingly as it went down the apron and onto something that was most definitely not a road.

The RV stopped dead and Jay revved the engine, but the wheels just spun uselessly as they sunk deeper into the softening earth. Jay revved the engine again but Jensen knew stuck when he saw it. He went over to the driver's side window, Jay winding it down as he walked.

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit!" Jay smacked his hand against the wheel. "Okay, I’ll get out and push, you get in and steer."

Jensen snorted. "You’re going to push a Winnebago?"

Jay turned his narrowed eyes to Jensen. "You bet I am."

"You can’t–"

"Get in."

"But–"

"Just fucking do it, Jensen," he demanded, getting out and immediately getting soaked.

Jensen got in, but after a couple minutes of the most futile waste of gas he'd ever witnessed, he got out and went around the back to join Jay. He set his shoulder on the back of the RV, ready to push, and Jay frowned, but didn't tell him to go away.

Over and over they pushed but the car only sank deeper, while they slipped and skidded in the mud. Jensen’s arms shook from the strain and he knew he was going to wake-up with massive shoulder aches tomorrow. He gathered up all his annoyance and disappointment and put his hands on the damn RV to push it all the way to the house on the power of his frustration – and slipped, falling down into the thick mud. He twisted as he fell, ending up with his back against the RV's bumper and deciding to call it quits. He could drown in the rain for all he cared. Jay plopped down into the mud next to him, looking just as miserable, exhausted, and pissed off.

"What do we do now?" Jay asked.

"I have no idea," Jensen answered, one low, humorless chuckle wrenched out of him. "It's not going anywhere and the storm isn't ending anytime soon."

Jay knocked the back of his head against the car. "So we’re just stuck here, in the middle of a field that you led us to. Awesome."

Jensen gaped. "Led? _I_ led?"

"Well, you were the navigator, I just followed you," Jay explained, shifting to stand, one hand on the RV for support.

"So, this is my fault?!" Jensen screeched, jumping up.

"I didn’t say that. Look we’re both tired–"

"Because if this is anyone’s fault, it’s yours."

Jay made no sound for a long moment, then, "Excuse me?" he said dangerously.

Jensen poked Jay hard on his chest. "I wasn’t the one who took a half-assed last minute booking in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere."

A long flash of lightning zinged overhead, revealing Jay standing at his full height, mouth set and eyes narrowed, blazing with anger as he stared at Jensen incredulously. "So, it’s my fault for accepting a job?"

"Yes!" Jensen roared. "We could have been halfway to Cibolo Creek by now, settling down for the night. I thought that’s what this trip was about, spending some time together. I didn’t know you wanted me to be your damn booking agent."

"My what?" The fierceness was gone, replaced by confusion or concern, or something that made Jay's face wrinkle up like that.

"I thought…" Jensen said, hesitating. "I thought this trip was about seeing nature, about spending time together." He backed up a step, muttering, "I thought you wanted me."

"I do," Jay said, moving closer and wrapping his hands around Jensen’s biceps. "Want you so fucking much, man."

"Bullshit." He shoved at Jay, pushing him away. "What about this morning, huh? You practically ran away when I tried to kiss you."

"Because you just broke up with your boyfriend!" Jay shouted, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "I’ve been trying to be good this whole trip, to not push you. It kills me how bad I want to be with you but I should have never kissed you at the fair, no matter how much I wanted to. I had no right." He combed a hand threw his wet hair, shoulders sagging as he seemed to shrink into himself. "You’ve been with Tom for years, it wasn’t – I shouldn’t have –"

"Stop, please, stop," Jensen begged over the rain, blinking heavily to remove the moisture gathered on his eyelashes, and moved closer to Jay. "You had a part in the reason I broke it off, but I should have done it a long time ago. He wasn’t right for me."

Jensen stepped even closer to Jay, cupping his chin with both hands, forcing Jay to meet his eyes. "The kiss at the fair was the most wonderful thing I’ve ever felt, it was _magic_ , Jay. So, please. Please don’t say you regret it or wish you hadn’t done it."

"Jensen–" Jay started.

"You’re the most remarkable person I have ever met." It was true, Jensen realized as a flash of lightning hit, revealing Jay’s eyes were storming, filled with a myriad of emotions. And suddenly it didn’t matter that he ached all over and was stuck in a downpour in the middle of nowhere.

There was no place else he rather be.

"Jensen," Jay breathed as if his name held the key to everything.

Jensen grabbed a fistful of Jay’s shirt to reel him in, pressing their lips together as another lightning bolt illuminated the sky.

Jay kissed like he was starving for it, like he wouldn’t be happy until he had consumed Jensen whole. "Been wanting to do this all week," he said against Jensen’s mouth. "Since the moment I saw you. Wanted to take you right there on your office desk, make you all messy."

Jensen moaned. "Why didn’t you?"

"Fuck, Jensen," Jay growled, crushing their mouths together again.

Despite the cold and wet, Jensen had never been hotter, burning up with his desire for Jay. His fingers couldn’t unbutton Jay’s shirt fast enough, clawing until the offending article was open and Jensen could touch skin.

Their bodies slid against each other, erections grinding together. The rain was pounding onto Jensen’s skin, drowning out the noises they were making but not the thundering of Jensen’s heart.

Jay was all hardness against him, muscles and sinews, and the large swell of his cock tempting Jensen to fall to his knees. The mud squelched at the impact, Jensen working his fingers and teeth to reveal his prize as the soggy jeans and boxers didn’t want to come off easy.

"Fucking knew you’d be huge," Jensen said, rubbing his check against the head before swallowing Jay in one go.

" _Holy shit_." Jay’s entire body vibrated and he fisted his hands in Jensen’s hair. He didn’t try to control Jensen, just kept his hands there as Jensen started bobbing his head up and down, losing himself in the feel of Jay in his mouth, in the smell and taste of him.

He gently cupped Jay’s balls, getting to know the shape and feel of them, before squeezing the base of Jay’s dick, loving all the little noises falling from Jay’s mouth.

Jensen shifted his legs further apart, getting more comfortable, ignoring his own aching cock pressing uncomfortably against the seam of his pants. He realized he could get addicted to this, could spend hours happily sucking Jay off, watching Jay fall apart for him.

"Jensen, god, you—please, I-I," Jay stuttered, legs trembling with the strain of holding himself up.

He heard Jay’s unspoken plea and went lax, opening his mouth wide, catching a glimpse of the look of amazement of Jay’s face before closing his eyes. Jay grabbed the back of Jensen's head and slammed his cock down Jensen’s throat.

Jensen felt his own dick leak through his shorts, his stomach curling tighter and tighter with each thrust of Jay’s hips, swallowing as best he could. When Jay climaxed, he didn’t get it all, semen smearing across his lips and down his chin when Jay pulled back.

Jay dropped to his knees, his hand caressed Jensen’s cheek softly, releasing a guttural noise when he touched the cooling come around Jensen’s mouth. His thumb slide through the wetness, gathering what the rain had yet to wash away and Jensen lowered his head, tongue sneaking out to hungrily lick the finger clean.

"Christ," Jay rasped. "Come here."

He pulled Jensen to him, claiming Jensen’s mouth in a greedy kiss as Jensen whined against him, tearing at his fly and releasing his cock. He fisted himself, pumping only once before Jay knocked his hand away, replacing it with Jay’s own.

God, Jay’s hand was freaking ginormous, nearly covering all of Jensen’s length and jerking him so damn good, flicking his wrist in a move that had Jensen moaning as loud as any porn star. It didn’t take him long to come, spurting messily between them, and slumping against Jay, burying his face in Jay’s neck.

He felt Jay shift, hiking his own pants up before gently tucking Jensen back in as he pressed kisses on Jensen’s ear, the side of his head, his hair, anywhere Jay’s mouth could reach.

They stayed together like that for a while – years, it felt like – before Jay said, "Um, Jensen?"

Jensen nodded. Suddenly the ache in his arms was unbelievable and he had one in his thighs to match. It was still pissing down rain and Jensen was thankful to hear Jay say, "I think we should get out of the rain. We're not going anywhere until it lets up anyway."

"Yeah," Jensen agreed, letting his forehead slide along the slick plane of Jared's neck as he nodded.

"Come on," Jay said, and Jensen could hear the grin in his voice. "Let's get out of these clothes."

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

They stripped outside the Winnebago, leaving the clothes in a heap in the mud. Jensen followed Jay straight into the tiny shower, where, despite their best efforts, it really was too tight to do anything but warm up and hope the water cleaned off any remaining mud.

When Jay spread the blankets and sleeping back out on the floor, Jensen put his butt down right in the middle of it, despite all of Jay's protestations about the bunk going empty. He shut the lights off and they shuffled around on the floor until they fit together like a couple of jigsaw pieces. Jensen took a deep breath, letting Jay's scent settle into his brain. He still smelled like candy.

The sheer curtains on the RV's windows allowed tendrils of moonlight to slip in, the quiet sky signaling the end of the storm. Jensen's eyes adjusted to the dim light quickly and without thought, his fingers started tracing Jay’s tattoo. It covered nearly all of Jay’s bicep, all black ink with a turtle in the center, surrounded by various thin rectangles and half circles.

"Got it when I was twenty-one," Jay said, staring up at the ceiling. "I wanted to rebel against my parents. They don’t like tattoos and I wanted to show them I was my own man."

"So you got a tat of a turtle?" Because, yeah, that made perfect sense.

"Hey, turtles are cool," he said defensively, elbowing Jensen.

"You were drunk off your ass, weren’t you?"

"Totally wasted," Jay said, reaching over to press their lips together.

It went on and on, languid kiss after kiss, Jay shifting to his back as Jensen crawled on top, one leg between Jay’s. He couldn’t get enough of Jay’s mouth, dipping his tongue inside for a taste repeatedly, enjoying the slide of Jay’s big hands down his back.

All too soon for Jensen’s liking, the events of the day began to catch up with him, and the kisses slowed even more. He was too tired to take things further and it appeared that Jay was too, as they both yawned wide. "Good night," Jay said, leaning in for a last kiss and settling his head down next to Jensen's ear.

"Night," Jensen whispered. He tried to relax and go to sleep, but after a few minutes of restlessness, he gave up and asked what was on his mind. "We’re not going to Cibolo Creek tomorrow, are we?"

"What?" Jay said muzzily, blinking his eyes open. "Of course we are. I told–"

"Come on, Jay. We’re due in Corpus Christi on Saturday. It’s stupid, not to mention a complete waste of gas – which is getting ridiculously expensive – to go all the way to Kendall County tomorrow and then come all the way back here."

"Doesn’t matter," Jay said obstinately. "I told you I would take you see Cibolo Nature Center and I will."

Jensen sighed. "It’s dumb to go tomorrow, we’ll hardly have anytime there. We can go some other time, can’t we?"

Jay was quiet for a long moment. "So there's definitely going to be another time, then?"

"What?" Jensen asked desperately. "I thought – I mean, do you want –"

"Oh, I want, believe me, I want," Jay said, reaching over to kiss him again. The kiss was filled with so much promise and affection that it made Jensen’s toes curl.

"Okay, then," Jensen said breathlessly. "We've got plenty of time. Let's do it later. No bookings, next time."

He could feel Jay's grin in the darkness. "No bookings. Promise."

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

The next morning, Jensen woke up to the sound of someone banging on the door like they were being chased by lions.

"Anybody in there?" a man's voice asked. "And are you decent?"

Jensen sat bolt upright as he remembered the pile of clothes on the RV's doorstep. Jay got to his feet in a shot, opening a drawer and grabbing a pair of shorts to throw on. Jensen sat down at the dinette, huddled in the blankets.

"Hi," Jay said, opening the door with a loud creak. "We got stuck."

The guy laughed. "I figured," he said, peeking into the RV and waving at Jensen. "You're the photographer my sister-in-law called about?"

"Yeah," Jay said, holding out a hand. "Jay. Nice to meet you."

"You too," the man said, shaking firmly. "Name's JD. I suppose you need some help?"

"That'd be great," Jay said, and Jensen let his head drop to the table. He'd never been so embarrassed in his whole life.

"I'll get my tractor."

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Jensen wasn’t all that sure how much fun a party for a ten-year-old was going to be but Jay cajoled him into hitting one of the piñatas, which was pretty sweet. Especially when the thing burst open at Jensen’s second swing, all the kids rushing to get the candy. Jensen tore off his blindfold and dive to grab the gummy bears first.

"Those are for the children," Jay pointed out, going for stern but failing miserably.

"Not my fault they ain’t fast enough," he replied, biting off the head of another bear.

He was happily munching down on a second piece of ice cream cake – who knew those things were so delicious? Jensen was definitely requesting ice cream cake for every birthday from now on – when he saw a hefty middle-aged man approach Jay.

"Hey, you the photographer?" Jensen overhead the guy ask, trying not to look like he was listening in.

"Yep," Jay answered and they started talking about prices.

Jensen scowled, looking away, already knowing what the man was getting at, not the least bit surprised when the guy apologized for the late notice and asked if Jay could do his daughter’s birthday party tomorrow.

When seconds passed and Jay didn’t answer, Jensen turned to find Jay’s eyes on him.

"I’m sorry, sir," Jay said, never taking his gaze off Jensen. "I’m afraid I can’t. I have other plans for tomorrow."

"Plans?" Jensen asked after the guy thanked Jay and trundled away, no longer pretending he wasn’t spying on the conversation.

"JD told me Choke Canyon State Park is only about twenty-five miles south-east from here. Heard they had some prime fishing."

Jensen shuffled closer. "Heard? You’ve never been?"

"Nope, it’ll be the first for both of us."

"I like that," he admitted, smiling, delighted that Jay refused the booking to spend the day with him. "I thought you couldn’t fish without a license though."

"Oh, believe me, I am fully licensed," Jay said lewdly, making hungry eyes at Jensen.

Jensen burst out laughing. He couldn’t wait.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Turned out Jensen was a pretty awesome fisherman, if his three good size catches to Jay’s one tiny, you-need-a-microscope-to-see-it fish was anything to go by.

"You do not need a microscope," Jay bristled, looking down at the bucket that held their would-be dinner. "It’s a fair size."

"It’s the size of your pinky. You should let me use it as bait. Let a real man handle dinner," he said, chest puffed out.

"Yeah, okay," Jay agreed easily.

"Really?" Jensen asked, looking suspiciously at Jay.

"Yep." He stood up, stretching those impossibly long arms. "And since you’re a _real man_ ," he added, bending down to Jensen’s ear, one corner of his mouth twitching, "You can be the one to gut and debone dinner."

Jensen could only sputter as Jay walked away.

Cleaning fish was about as fun as it sounded, and Jensen was sure no amount of soap was going to rid the smell from his hands any time soon, but afterward, when the fish was cooked and it was just the two of them sitting around a campfire nibbling on a trout Jensen had caught, well, he didn’t know how to describe it. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so content.

It was nearly dusk, just enough time to do what he had been thinking about all day. Well, one of the things he had been thinking about all day. The other could wait, they had all night after all. And after the way Jay’d been eyeing him since he got dressed this morning – seriously what was up with his obsession with sweater vests? – he knew Jay was more than up for it.

But now was the time for something else.

"Hey, where are you going?" Jay called out to Jensen’s retreating back.

"Going to climb a tree," he threw over his shoulder.

"What?!" Jay asked, running after him. By the time Jay caught up, Jensen had already found the tree he wanted, tall with lots of thick, sturdy branches.

"You’re not serious," Jay said, reaching a hand for Jensen’s shoulder. Jensen shrugged it off and jumped up to the lowest branch, pulling himself up until he stood on it, glancing down at Jay, smiling.

"Totally serious," he said, and turned his attention to the next branch.

"What if a ranger comes by? You could get in trouble."

"It’s fine, what are the chances…." he trailed off, curving an arm around another branch and hoisting himself up.

"What if you fall and die?" Jay yelled loud enough for Jensen to hear.

Jensen looked down… which was a mistake. He didn’t handle heights too well, but he was determined and there was still lots of tree left. He kept going, one branch at a time, ignoring Jay's frantic shouting for him to get down – sheesh, you’d think the guy would learn to live a little.

Soon the branches were thin enough that he didn't dare go any further. His eyes looked down without his permission and he immediately had to close them. Who knew how high he was, but it felt like he was a hundred feet up, a hundred miles, touching the sky.

He tilted his head up, opening his eyes to the clouds above, taking a calming breath before looking out at the world around him and, wow, _this_ was why he should have never stopped climbing trees.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

That night they parked the RV along a deserted strip of land along the canyon, laying out a thick blanket on the ground and looking up at the stars.

They started talking a bit about their childhoods, Jay asking question after question as if he wanted to know everything about Jensen, as if he could listen to him talk for hours.

"You grew up in Dallas, then?" he asked, one hand folded beneath his head and the other holding Jensen’s.

"Yeah," Jensen said, "We lived in this pretty sweet apartment until I was sixteen. Then my parents decided to buy a house on the outskirts of Richardson – away from the city." He scoffed at the memory. "I didn’t want to go but Mac fell in love with the place and my parents could never deny her anything."

"She’s your younger sister right? The baby?" He squeezed Jensen’s hand softly, bringing it up to his lips and pressing a kissing to it. He had been doing stuff like that all day and during the party yesterday. Little touches and kisses, like he was reminding himself that he could, that he and Jensen were together now.

PDAs were never really Jensen’s thing but, for some reason, he didn’t mind. He liked having Jay’s attention.

"Yeah. She’s their baby girl, you know? Between work and her and Josh–" Jensen stopped, rubbing his nose just under his glasses.

"What?"

"Nothing." Jensen pulled his hand away. "I’ve talked nearly all night. Why don’t you tell me about yourself? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Jay rolled to his side, facing Jensen. "Between what? Tell me, please?" he said, bringing the damn puppy dog eyes out.

Jensen sighed and gave in, twisting to his side so he and Jay could look at each other. "It’s just sometimes it was hard to get my parents' attention. They were really busy, you know? Classic middle-child syndrome, I guess. It’s fine though. It’s what gave me my drive to excel, to really make something of myself."

"Make something of yourself?"

"Yeah, bank manager is only the first step. I want so much more."

Jay tilted his head, puzzled. "What do you want?"

Jensen sat up, peering out into the world. "I want to succeed. I want to make a name for myself in this business. To be respected."

When a full minute had passed and Jay hadn’t responded, Jensen looked back at him. Jay was sitting up, frowning and lost in thought.

"Jay," he asked and that seemed to snap Jay to attention, his face darting to Jensen’s.

"Sorry, man. That’s really want to you want? To be a big-name banker?" he asked quietly, looking down and pulling at the grass on the edge of the blanket, twirling it around his finger.

"Yes," Jensen answered, lost in his memories. "Yes, that's what I've always wanted."

 

~ ~ ~ ~

  


There was something deliciously wicked about making out with his boyfriend right in front of his grandmother’s front door, Jensen thought.

It’d been over a week since the rain storm and Jensen was already addicted to Jay’s kisses. It didn’t matter if they were long, short, deep, hard, or soft, Jensen wanted them all. All the time. It wasn't like him, he’d always liked kisses just fine, but more of a prelude to sex then just for the act itself.

Not Jay’s kisses though. They were intoxicating and always stopped Jensen in his tracks, world narrowing to just the two of them.

He whined when Jay pulled away.

"I need to get going, Jensen, or I’ll be late."

Jensen bit his lip in dismay, which caused Jay to whimper before leaning in again, mouths greedily sliding against each other as Jensen carded his hand through Jay’s thick hair.

"Why can’t I come with you?" he asked when the kiss ended, not letting Jay go. "I’m not due back at work till Monday."

"I already told you, it’s–"

"A boring, stuffing business dinner, yadda yadda. I know. But it’s not until tomorrow night." Jay had been oddly secretive about the dinner, distracting Jensen whenever Jensen brought it up. The only thing he would tell Jensen was that it was a stupid business thing that would bore Jensen senseless, and since it was in Dallas, wouldn’t Jensen much prefer to spend his time with family and friends?

"They want to meet with me beforehand and if I don’t go now, I’ll be late. Come on, go spend the day with Gramms. I’ll see you again on Sunday."

Jensen wanted to pout or cajole or whine his way into spending even a few more minutes with Jay – boring business be damned. He made it through Jim Beaver's sixtieth birthday party! How bad could this dinner be?

He didn’t do any of that though, only nodded and said, "See you Sunday." He didn’t watch Jay leave, turning around and letting himself inside the house.

"Gramms?" he called out as soon as he was in the door. No one answered and Jensen only then remembered she had bingo at noon on Fridays.

He unpacked slowly, hoping it would feel less empty as he got used to being home again. It was almost strange now, being able to walk around his bedroom and not knock into things. He felt so lonely, he decided to go back into work. Might as well put the afternoon to good use.

It was weird putting on a tie after not wearing one for two weeks. He'd never realized how stifling they could be – like he was being choked.

Jensen loosened the tie a little before grabbing his briefcase and car keys.

He noticed right away that something was different about the bank’s parking lot but it was only when he walked over to the far corner and saw the cracked asphalt repaired with a jagged line of sealant that Jensen got it.

His shoulders slumped and even the smiling faces of Alona and the tellers didn’t improve his mood. Alona mentioned something about the vice-president but Jensen wasn’t really listening, he just wanted to get inside his office and settle back into his routine.

The next hour passed with agonizing slowness as he read through the backlog of hundreds of emails that he'd stopped checking somewhere in the middle of his vacation. The computer screen made Jensen’s eyes hurt and the four walls seemed to press in closer and closer, all while the tie pinching at his neck. He loosened it enough that he could undo the top button of his collar, taking off his glasses and rubbing at his eyes before putting them back on and trying to focus on the monitor. He could have sworn the screen wasn’t this bright before.

Jensen was startled out of his email-induced stupor when he saw S. Gamble flash across the display, sweat breaking out over the back of his neck. Why would the VP be calling him?

He swallowed thickly before answering. "Good afternoon, Ms. Gamble. How may I help you?"

_"Oh, Jensen, great! I heard you were back. Did you have a good vacation?"_ She didn’t sound upset, so Jensen let out the breath he was holding.

"It was great, thank you for asking."

_"Oh, good. I’m actually calling to share some wonderful news. You remember the proposal you put together for JP Inc.?"_

Jensen snorted. "How could I forget? They're only the largest accounting firm in all of Texas – not to mention the owner's married to the governor." Every bank in the Dallas region had been vying for that account as soon as JP Inc. had announced they were opening up a Dallas Branch.

Sera chuckled. _"Yes, I guess you’re right. And speaking of its owner, Mr. Padalecki was just here to have a meeting with Ben and I."_

Jensen’s eyes widened. A meeting with both the bank president and VP was big. "Does that mean… ?"

_"Almost,"_ she said and Jensen could hear the excitement in her voice. _"Mr. Padalecki has requested to meet with you. He said he’s heard wonderful things about Edlund Back, especially your office, Jensen. Ben and I don’t know what you did, but we both knew we made the right decision in making you manager. You’re heading for big things, kid."_

"That’s incredible news, Ms. Gamble." He was bewildered, he couldn’t imagine where Jerry Padalecki would have ever heard anything about the Lancaster branch. And an account the size of JP Inc.? It had to be worth millions. "Do you think he’ll pick us?"

_"I certainly hope so! Ben and I are doing everything we can, but he’s asked to meet you."_

Jensen sat up straighter in his chair. "Me? When?"

_"Mr. Padalecki is hosting a dinner tomorrow night at the Ritz Carlton, in celebration of his company’s expansion into the area. He wants to meet with you beforehand, in one of the small conference rooms. I will be there, but it will be your show. We need you to seal the deal."_

"Of course I will." This was a chance of a lifetime and he wouldn't screw it up. All his doubts about Jay’s leaving vanished. Coming into work today was going to be what launched Jensen’s career into the stratosphere.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

  


He polished his shoes until every inch shined, had his most expensive suit dry-cleaned, and triple checked that not a single hair remained after shaving, that his face was as smooth as a baby’s bottom.

It wasn’t every day you met Gerald ‘Jerry’ Padalecki. Or any member of their family.

The Padaleckis were the most influential family in Texas, hands down. Beginning with Marvin Padalecki, Jerry’s father, a much loved Texas senator that made it all the way to president before suffering a fatal heart attack two years into his term. Everyone had thought his only child would follow in his political footsteps, but instead, Jerry had gone into business.

JP Inc. was now an empire, the wealthiest company in the state outside of oil, with offices all over and headquarters in San Antonio. It was there that he had met Mayor Sharon Kammer, who he married. Mrs. Padalecki was now Governor, the first woman in Texas history.

Jensen wondered if she would be there or if any of their children would be. He’d heard the oldest, Jack or James or something like that, had moved to Georgia and was currently running for congressional office.

It didn’t matter, he supposed, as long as Jerry was there. It sounded like he was already thinking about going with Edlund Bank so Jensen was already halfway there. Jensen was sure he if he could land the account, he could convince Ben and Sera to let him personally handle it.

But before he could do any of that, he needed to stop checking himself over in the hallway mirror and get his ass out of the house.

"Your tie can’t get any straighter," Gramms said, sounding exasperated at watching Jensen fiddle with it.

"Okay, okay," he turned toward her. "How do I look?"

"Hmm. Bend your head down."

He furrowed his brows but did as told, his grandmother reaching up and ruffling his hair. "Hey," he said, batting her hand away. "I spent half an hour combing it down."

She ignored him, giving his hair one more ruffle before pulling away. "There, much better."

Jensen sighed. "Okay, can I go now?"

"Yes, just—that is, Jensen, about this meeting, I don’t…"

"What’s the matter? Are you feeling okay? Your hip?" he asked, concerned.

"My hip is fine, I’m fine. It’s nothing, dear."

Only it didn’t look like nothing. She looked closed-off and sullen, as if she didn’t want Jensen to go.

"Gramms," he started.

She tried to smile. "I just want you to be happy. To get your happily ever after."

He looked at her quizzically. "This _is_ my happy ending, Gramms. I have Jay and now I'm going to get the career of my dreams. It couldn't be more perfect."

 

~ ~ ~ ~

  


He had only been to the Ritz Carlton once before, when Tom had booked a room for their one year anniversary. Jensen hadn’t been very impressed, not for the outrageous rate they charged and wasn’t terribly impressed now either.

There was nothing special about the conference room. A square table, some leather chairs, a painting that probably cost more than he made in a year, and a drink cart. The cathedral-like windows were nice though, overlooking the gorgeous gardens below.

He was sitting on one side of the table with Sera, waiting for Mr. Padalecki to arrive and tugging at his collar. Damn tie was choking him again.

Finally, the thick double doors opened and Jensen saw _him_.

Jay had just walked inside the room – but it wasn’t Jay. At least, not how Jensen had ever seen him before.

Standing at his full height, back ramrod straight in a dark blue suit that was clearly tailor-made to fit him perfectly and must have cost a small fortune, his shaggy hair gelled back so not a strand was out of place, and his eyebrow piercing missing. Cold-looking hazel eyes calmly swept the room, stopping a moment on Jensen before continuing, mouth set in a firm line.

Jensen furrowed his brows, eyes searching Jay’s, not understanding what he was seeing. No way Jay was here to take pictures.

"I know you were expecting my father," Jay said, not looking directly at Jensen, "but since I will be heading up the Dallas office, I will be handling this meeting." He set his briefcase down on the table, and that’s when Jensen finally recognized Jay’s face.

Jay was Jared Padalecki, youngest son of the Padalecki empire.

Oh, God.

"Jensen, are you alright?" He felt Sera grabbing his arm more than he heard her. "You’re as white as a ghost."

"I-I…" He couldn’t process this, couldn’t take his eyes off Jay – Jared. How was this even possible? "That’s…this can’t – I…"

He needed to get away. He forced himself to look away, to look at Sera. "I need to get some fresh air, please excuse me."

He didn’t wait for her response, turning away and darting out the nearest door, not caring were it led, just as long as it was away from here. It was the door to the balcony, and Jensen's flight was stopped by the railing overlooking the damn gardens. Jensen grabbed it, breathing in huge lungfuls of air in an effort to settle his stomach, which was busy twisting itself into knots.

Christ, he was a moron. How had he missed Jay being –

Jensen blinked up at the sky. Last time he had really seen Jared Padalecki was years ago, a tall and lanky eighteen year old, scrawny and pimply-faced, about to go off to college and making the local news because of his famous parents.

The kid had definitely grown up.

Into a lying asshole. Fuck. Why would he do something like this? Three thousand dollars must be pocket change to someone like him, there’s no reason he would need a loan. And even if he did, why the act? Any bank would have bended over backwards for him. And the roadtrip, inviting Jensen, why? It made no sense. Unless…

It all must have been one giant game to him, a joke or… maybe a test? To see… what? If Jensen was too gullible to be trusted with the Padalecki fortune?

Jensen’s blood ran cold, his heart turning over and aching in a way it never had before. He glanced down and was puzzled by seeing his knuckles so white. He had no idea he was gripping the railing so tightly, like he was holding on for dear life. He tried to pry his fingers away but they only tightened.

The door opened and closed behind him, the sound of footfalls coming closer. He didn’t have to turn around to see who it was. It could only be one person. Because the universe hated him that much.

The steps stopped directly behind him.

"Jensen–"

"No," he said, looking straight ahead. "You don’t get to talk to me. Please leave."

"Let me explain."

"No, no explaining, no anything." He shook his head, willing himself to not make another move. He couldn’t handle looking at the lying asshole right now. "I said please, which is more than you deserve. Just go."

"Would you just look at me then? Please?"

"No."

"Come on, man." Jensen felt Jay place a hand on his shoulder and lost it.

"Don’t touch me!" he screamed, spinning around and slapping Jay’s hand away. "You lied, Jay—Jared. Christ, I don’t know what to even call you anymore."

"Jay," he said quickly, raising both hands, palms out as if he meant no harm. "You should call me Jay. And I know you’re mad, and you have every right to be, but let me explain. You owe me at least that much."

Jensen’s pretty sure his mouth hit the floor. " _Owe_ you? I don’t owe you one single thing." He shoved Jay away. "You lied to me. Your name, your age, about _who you are_!"

"No, not everything," he said, shaking his head. "My name and age, yes, but the rest? It was real." Jay stepped closer, right into Jensen’s personal space, eyes pinning Jensen. "The way I feel about you, that was all real. I swear."

"Yeah, right. You must really take me for a sucker, that I would still believe your lies. I don’t know anything about you! I didn’t even know your goddamned name, _Jared_ ," he added, seething.

He turned to go but Ja-red caught his wrist, holding it firmly. "You know everything about me that matters," he said, voice soft. "You know more about me than most people do, more than my own parents. Please, Jensen, don’t go."

He stared at the door, wondering why he couldn't seem to get his feet moving right away. "No," he said, finally unsticking himself and making a move for the door. "Good-bye, Mr. Padalecki."

Jared’s hold on his arm tightened. "I can make you stay."

"No," Jensen said, ripping his arm out of Jared's grip, "You can’t."

"I can," Jared said, his eyes blazing in a way that Jensen should have recognized before. "You can't tell me you're really going to walk out that door without this account, in front of your VP. And don't think if you say yes, I am above blackballing you from every bank in Texas."

Jensen's mouth fell open. He was right, he didn't know Jared at all. This was clearly Jared Padalecki, member of the most powerful family in Texas, and Jay was nowhere to be found. "You'd do that," Jensen said flatly, crossing his arms. "You'd fuck me over like that?"

The cold façade broke and Jared looked pained. "I don't want to. That's not – I'm not like that! I just want you to listen to me. You _have_ to hear me out." He broke out the puppy dog eyes.

Jensen was so relieved to see something familiar on Jay – Jared – 's face that he couldn't help giving in. "You have five minutes."

_Jared_ nodded once, mouthed a quiet ‘thank you’ before clearing his throat and looking down, as if he had suddenly gone shy. "So, my family, they’re pretty rich–"

"If you’re just going to waste my time with stuff I already know–"

"No, sorry, you’re right," he replied quickly, putting his hands up like he was telling Jensen to wait. "There wasn’t a thing I wanted for growing up, nothing I had to work at. There was a maid to clean my room, a cook that made me anything I wanted, a chauffeur, a gardener, everything you could imagine. I didn’t go to school, my parents get us – my brother and sister and me, I mean – some of the finest tutors in the county. I aced every test, could speak four languages by the time I was eight."

Jensen tapped his foot and exaggerated a yawn. "Yeah, I’m really feeling sorry for you."

Jared put his hands up again. _Just wait_ , they seemed to say. "Once my dad realized how good I was at math, he started planning for me to take over JP Inc. He’s had my whole future planned out for me since I was five. There was never any celebrating of test scores or degrees. Of course, I had a 4.0 and was captain of the debate and chess teams and won the national spelling bee – because they expected nothing less."

"I’ve lived my whole life doing want they wanted me to and do you where I ended up?"

Jensen raised an eyebrow. "Head of a department with a huge-ass corner office?"

"Yeah," Jay said, shaking his head. "Yeah, I had the corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows and a bathroom twice the size of the RV. But I was miserable, Jensen. What’s the point of having windows when you can’t go outside? I was working eighty hours a week, would come on weekends and spend my days pushing paper and going to meetings. I would look outside the window – there was a park across the street – and see people riding their bikes, playing tennis or soccer, kids laughing at the playground. They were outside, living their lives and being happy."

Jay gestured with his chin to the waning sun over the horizon. "I’d watch the sun rise and set almost every day from that office. I’d look out and see mountains in the distance and yearn to go hiking, to dust off my camera and take pictures. Photography is the only thing that’s ever been just mine. My parents let me take pictures – even bought me a nice camera – but it was always a hobby. Something to be well-rounded, not something you could make a living at."

He wasn’t looking at Jensen anymore, standing by the rail and staring out into the world. Jensen couldn’t help taking a couple steps closer to him. "So it wasn't a test," Jensen murmured. "Or a joke or–"

"No!" Jared insisted, turning around and looking at Jensen in dismay. "No, never. How could you think that? "

"What was I supposed to think? The person I know is a bad chef with horrible taste in shirts and an RV that should be condemned. He's a hooligan. You, you're…" Jensen waved his hands up and down Jared's body. "Everything I know about you is a lie."

"Not everything," Jared said again. "Not the important stuff. Not the stuff that matters."

"Look at you, man," Jensen said, the anger building again at the same time as the realization that Jared was _hot_ in his perfectly tailored suit and gelled-back hair. "You're going to head up the Dallas branch? Where's photography now?"

Jared looked down at himself, huffing out a disgusted noise. "So I know how to wear a suit. I've been wearing them since before I can remember. And photography will always be with me. If the only thing I can take pictures of for the rest of my life is you, then I can live with that."

Jensen sucked in a breath. That was not what he expected for an answer. "But… heading up the Dallas branch of JP Inc.?"

"Is for you," Jared said with a familiar eyeroll. "You want to be a big-name banker. I'm pretty sure that's something I can help you with. And listen, Jensen," Jay said, his piercing eyes looking right at him, "photography makes me happy, but not as much as you do. And I want you to have everything you've ever wanted. If I have to go back to the corner office to make that happen, then," he shrugged, "I will. My camera will be my hobby and we can camp on weekends and take those two weeks' vacation in Cibolo Creek…" Jay stared at him, whispering softly, "Please."

The pleading was so familiar, bringing back memories of Jensen on his knees in the mud. Jensen was starting to see Jay in this Jared. "Jared, I–"

"Jay. Call me Jay." He cautiously closed the gap between them, slowly raising his hand towards Jensen’s face, giving Jensen plenty of time to draw back. Jensen didn’t, closing his eyes for a moment when Jared cupped his chin.

Jensen couldn’t look away, losing himself in the green and gold depths of Jared’s eyes, eyes that held so many promises, if only Jensen would let them. His heart was beating so fast he wondered if Jared could hear it. "I… I don’t know what you want from me."

"Just you. Nothing more. I want just you." He nuzzled against Jensen’s ear, weakening Jensen’s knees as much as his resolve.

"Jare–"

"Let me be your Jay again, please." Jared’s voice was soft, and it broke something in Jensen. "I love you."

Jensen pulled back, gasping. "Love? You’ve known me a month!"

"Your grandma told me she got married after only two months," Jared chided.

"That was over sixty years ago, it was a different time. Things are different now."

Jared grinned, cat-like. "And she told me your mom proposed to your dad six weeks after they met."

Jensen narrowed his eyes. "And what else has my grandmother told you?"

"That your brother asked his wife to move in with him–"

"–three months after they started dating," Jensen finished.

Jared – Jay, he was _Jay_ – smiled, dimples and all. "I’m pretty sure we got them beat though. I fell in love with you the night of the fair."

"The fair?" He widened his eyes. "That was—wow, really?"

"Uh-huh," Jay answered and went back to nuzzling the side of Jensen’s face, pressing kisses on his ear, under his eye, cheek. It was distracting. He tilted his head when Jay reached his neck, giving Jay room for more kisses.

"I think I love you too, Jay," he whispered, feeling the smile against his neck and Jay’s breath as he was seconds away from pressing their lips together but Jensen leaned back, wanting to clear up something first before Jay’s kisses took him away. "You quit JP Inc.," Jensen said tentatively.

"Well…" Jay pulled away and rubbed the back of his neck. "Technically, I told my old man I was taking a five month sabbatical to work on my Master’s thesis but really, I just wanted to take pictures. To prove that I could do something for myself, without my parents' help."

"The five months are almost up, aren’t they?" he asked.

Jay nodded. "Just a few more weeks."

"And you're going back to your dad’s company?"

Jay looked away. "I admit, I wasn't planning on it." The good humor in his face disappeared. "But it's what you need to get what you want, so I accepted my dad’s offer to head up the Dallas branch."

Jensen tried to smile, but couldn’t. It could be a wonderful opportunity for Jay, not to mention make Jensen's career, but the idea of Jay going back to a life that made him miserable chafed. "But you don't want that life."

"You told me you wanted to be a big-name banker," Jay said easily. "This way, you will."

Jensen stood speechless for a long moment. "You’d live a life you hate for me?" he asked, voice small.

"It’s you that makes me happy, Jensen," Jay said, his smile sad but genuine. "It’s you that makes me the man I want to be. I just want you to be happy, too."

"But you'd be in a job that made you miserable," Jensen said. He thought about Jay's plans for a while and said, "Tell me what you were going to do, if you'd never met me."

Jay smiled ruefully. "I was going to keep working events, hoping to save up enough for a better RV so I could visit every state park in the country," he answered, quickly adding, "but that doesn’t matter now. You want to stay here–"

"I don’t," Jensen said suddenly, reaching up and loosening the tie that was still choking him. He didn't want to sit in front of a computer screen, he didn't want to answer endless emails and argue with Mrs. Garlington every other week. "I want to see the state parks with you."

Jay's eyes widened, studying Jensen like he had done so many times before and finally, smiling hugely, like a kid at Christmas time. "Yeah?"

Jensen nodded, grinning out of control. "Only… what are we going to be about money? I have some savings, but not enough for years on the road. Are you just going to keep on doing birthday parties and weddings? And what about me, what am I supposed to do?"

"Always so practical," Jay said, grinning

"I’m a bank m–"

"Manager. I know. It’s one of the things I love most about you."

"Being a bank manager?" Jensen asked, confused.

"No," Jay said with a smirk and quick kiss. "Your practicality."

"You didn’t answer my question," Jensen prodded. Living Jay's dream sounded wonderful – but not if they had to spend all their time taking gigs to make ends meet.

"You were supposed to say that being impractical was one of things you love most about me," Jay replied, pouting.

Jensen poked Jay’s chest. "I’m being serious."

Jay snorted a laugh. "No, okay, I don’t plan on us working birthday parties for the rest of our lives. Just for the next year and a half."

Jensen turtled his head back. "What happens then?"

"That's when I get access to my trust fund. Forty-two million dollars, to be paid out on my twenty-fifth birthday."

"Forty-two _million_?" And, no, Jensen did not squeak out that last word. Absolutely not.

"Yep," Jay said. "I figure we can see the world, look at the stars in every continent, and I could take pictures of all the parks."

"All the parks… there must be hundreds. It’ll take years."

"I was counting on it taking a lifetime, actually," Jay said softly, taking Jensen’s hand and linking their fingers together. "What do you say?"

Jay’s eyes were bright even in the dim light, voice filled with so much hope and want that Jensen blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "Under one condition."

"What?" Jay asked suspiciously.

"We get a better RV now. My back can’t do another night in the Winnebago."

"Um," Jay said, dismayed. "I don't think I can count on my parents for something like that, and I've been told I'm too great a risk to get a loan…"

Jensen shook his head, making a face at Jay. "I will buy it with my savings – as long as I have a say in which one."

"Deal!" Jay hooted, dimples out again and white teeth flashing. He leaned down, kissing Jensen, happiness seeming to radiate from his every pore.

Jensen hated to put on dipper on it but he couldn’t resist. He broke away right as Jay’s tongue sought entrance into his mouth. "And it has to have a real bedroom, big enough for at least a queen bed."

"Whatever you want," Jay rasped, going right back to kissing Jensen.

Jensen kitten-licked at Jay’s lips, flicking his tongue inside once, twice, before he pulled back. Not getting more than an inch or two away as Jay’s hands fisted his jacket, keeping Jensen close.

"And we don’t only visit parks. I still like cities, Jay, and I’ve always wanted to go to Chicago. Sydney. Tokyo. Mos–"

"Anywhere. We’ll go anywhere you want to go, Jensen," he promised with a groan, mouth seeking out Jensen’s again.

It took all of Jensen’s willpower to keep a straight face.

He let Jay reel him in for another kiss, letting himself get lost in it, in Jay, for a minute or two before pulling away. "And I–"

Jay whimpered. "Anything, I swear, anything you want. Just shut up and kiss me."

And Jensen did.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

[Art Post](http://amtamburo.livejournal.com/43156.html)| [Masterpost](http://silverraven.livejournal.com/130207.html) | [Extras](http://silverraven.livejournal.com/129952.html)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks:
> 
> To amtamburo for creating such wonderful art. She was a pleasure to work with, always so enthusiastic and a total sweetheart. If you haven't seen her art post yet, go now! It's fantastic.
> 
> To kisahawklin for being my savior. She beta'd, encouraged, and always answered my gazillion questions and emails, never once telling me to get lost like she should have. Her endless amount of wonderful suggestions was a godsend. And this isn't even her fandom. She's incredible, and I am so grateful to her. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
> 
> To the_milky_way for pretty much being the reason I made the draft deadline. Her support and cheerleading worked miracles.
> 
> To my flist. You guys rock my world. ♥
> 
> This is my second year participating in spn_j2_bigbang and I am once again in awe of wendy and thehighwaywoman for all the work they do to keep this boat sailing so smoothly.


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